


Greatest Love Story

by BLThompson



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Zombies, Childhood Friends, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Memories, Slow Burn, Young Daryl Dixon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2019-03-30 02:28:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 33,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13940670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BLThompson/pseuds/BLThompson
Summary: Setting: This story is based on Greatest Love Story by LANCO and is written from both Beth and Daryl’s POV. It is set in a world without zombies. Daryl and Beth meet in high school (Beth is a sophomore, Daryl a senior) and had a special relationship, although never an official dating relationship, until things went drastically wrong. Beth went off to college for four years. Now, she is back and Daryl isn’t sure what to do. PS I know most people can’t drive until 18, but for this story, they can when they start high school.





	1. They Said I was Nothing but a Troublemaker

**Daryl’s POV**

Daryl leaned against the wall and took a long drag of his cigarette. His callused, dirty hand trembled ever so slightly as he brought it up to pull out the cig from between his chapped lips. He blew the smoke out, causing the scene before him to fog slightly. It couldn’t be true, even if it was true, it didn’t make a difference. Clanking and banging coming from inside the mechanic shop interrupted his thoughts. He gave his head a slight shake, causing his long, brown hair to slap the sides of his face. It was just town gossip, nothin he should bother listening to.

“But,” whispered the voice in his head, “maybe it is true, she has to come back sometime. It has been about 4 years since she graduated.”

“Dixon,” shouted an actual voice, calling him back in from his break.

Daryl grunted, throwing the rollup on the ground and smashing it into the dirt with his brown work boots before heading back into the store. His mind was a million miles away though, back to another time that he had been smoking.

_The fourth period bell rang as he made his way outside and snuck behind the gym. He needed his fix, lighting the end of the paper before sticking it in his mouth. He breathed it in, feeling calmer already. His back ached from the beating he had received the previous night, over something as stupid as his dad finding no alcohol in the run-down trailer they called home. The abuse he had received at home made him less able to handle the constant social abuse he received at school, which he didn’t always handle well to begin with. It usually ended in him getting sent to the principle. Today, he just had to get away from it all for a bit._

_Things were not as bad as they used to be when he was a kid. Daryl could remember being picked on, taunted, and bullied, until one day something in him had snapped. The boy, Steve, had been shoving him and saying things about his mama that no kid should ever have to hear. His younger self had seen red and the next thing he knew, the older boy was lying on the ground, hand held to his jaw. After that, the bullying had gotten worse, but Daryl hadn’t taken it anymore. No punches a kid could throw at him came close to what his dad did to him on a regular basis, nothing had phased him. After a few months, not even boys several years older than him would consider picking a fight with the dirty, scrawny vagabond at their school. The taunts and mean words went away, or at least they occurred in whispers behind his back._

_Now, no one bothered him, they just kept their distance. Daryl was completely fine with that. He just needed to get through one more year and he would be out of here and could get some shitty-ass job that would at least give him enough money to move out on his own, far away from his father and people in general. If anyone would employ a Dixon that is, which was unlikely._

_Daryl took out another cig, it was one of those days. He winced in pain as he moved his shoulder. He had looked in the broken, piece of crap that was his mother’s old mirror this morning. The whole back of his shoulder had been black and purple. He had just shrugged on his loosest, most comfortable, if a bit ratty, shirt and headed to school. It wasn’t like staying home would have made the situation any better._

_The young man detected movement out of the corner of his eyes and instinctively flattened himself against the brick wall, hoping to just disappear. It was a group of students running the dirt track that looped around the back of the gym and the whole school. Not a threat to him, he noted, before relaxing a bit. He watched out of the corner of his eye as they ran by in black shorts and sleeve-less purple and gold shirts displaying a panther._

_He snorted at them and their matching clothes. Bunch of idiots running in circles just because a coach told them to. He had never understood sports. Then again, sports were usually a team thing, and as a rule, people in general were not Daryl’s thing. After they passed, he decided that maybe he should just cut school for the day. No point in going to class now, not like Daryl would learn anything. He had been borderline failing for years, only managing to scrape by because he was fairly quick learner if he ever tried. Constant beatings, lack of food and sleep, and constant mocking by his father and brother at any effort on his part to learn had made him a less than eager student. He pushed himself off the wall, his muscles clenching with a pain that was familiar to him. He began walking with no real destination in mind, just knowing he didn’t want to be at home or school. As he crossed over the dirt track, something shiny caught his eye. He slowly bent down and scooped the object up._

_It was a silver outline of a heart, with another smaller silver heart overlapping one side. It was attached to a delicate, silver chain. The necklace looked so out of place in his grimy hand with dirty, uneven nails. He was about to put it down, worried someone would accuse him of stealing it, when a voice caused him to jump._

_“Oh, thank goodness,” came a sweet, female voice, “you found my necklace, I was so worried about it!”_

_It wasn’t often Daryl was snuck up on, instantly causing him to become defensive. His eyes narrowed and he turned around to glare at the owner of the voice, who turned out to be a girl, with pretty blonde hair, tied back into a ponytail with a braid in it. On her left wrist, an assortment of bracelets with bright colors stood out. She had long, slender legs, like the deer he saw in the forest by his house, slight but powerful. The track shirt clung tight to her frame, showing off her curves. What got Daryl most wasn’t how good she looked, which he shouldn’t even be noticing, but the way she was looking at him. The girl had a huge smile on her face, very different from most people’s suspicious glances or frowns. Her big, blue eyes were shining, like she was actually happy to see some hick redneck holding her jewelry._

_She moved with a bit of awkwardness that came with growing into lanky limbs as she crossed the distance between them. Daryl had to fight the urge to move back from her brightness that he felt might scald him. The blonde held out her hand, which he quickly deposited the chain and charm into, hoping that would be the end of the encounter._

_“Thank you so much,” she gushed, holding out a hand for him to shake, “my name is Beth Greene. I don’t believe we have met yet.”_

_He didn’t need the introduction, he had instantly recognized her. She was the town sweetheart, one of the prettiest girls in the school, and part of an upstanding family that was very involved in the community. Beth was just the kind of person people were drawn too, the exact opposite of himself._

_“Daryl,” he said so low that she almost couldn’t hear, before quickly shaking her hand and then instantly pulling away like he had been bitten by a snake._

_"I am so thankful for you Daryl,” Beth continued, not leaving like he had expected, “this necklace was a gift from my mother before she passed away and I don’t know what I would have done if I had lost it! You don’t know how worried I was!”_

_“Ain’t nothin,” he murmured under his breath, uncomfortable with the pure joy radiating from her face and wanting nothing more than to get away._

_“It is something,” she told him firmly, turning those baby-blue eyes on him and all but pinning him in place._

_He just stared at her, thoroughly thrown off by her up-beat and confident attitude._

_"Thank you,” she had repeated, her smile completely blinding him, before she ran off to catch up with the other herd of track runners._

The corners of Daryl’s mouth turned up slightly at the memory. If only his younger self had known what a force he had just met. Present Daryl worked on the car in front of him, changing the oil. His stained hands moved with precision and purpose, a skill the car shop owner, Dale, had recognized when first hiring him. That is why Daryl had continued working here despite the other mechanics complaints about him and his family and his anti-social attitude.

When lunch finally came around, he went outside and sat down to consume the lunch he had packed, which could hardly be considered a meal. The paper sack just contained a coke, some potato chips, and half a taco, but it was better than nothing. It took him back though, to another time when he used to eat alone.

_No one else ever dared sit at his spot during lunch. Partly because no one else wanted to sit at a dilapidated bench with a tree that only half sheltered it from the wind, rain, and heat and partly because no one was brave enough to encroach on young redneck’s territory. However, it was the only spot to eat outside, the one furthest away from everyone else, so it was Daryl’s obvious choice. He usually didn’t have anything to eat, since it was rare for his father to give him any money for lunch. Instead, he would sit and observe a squirrel scampering up a tree, a pigeon pecking at leftovers that had fallen out of the trash, or the occasional stray dog wandering down the street in front of the school. He often wished he had his crossbow there so he could just hunt down his own lunch, but for obvious reasons that wasn’t allowed._

_He had just been contemplating where he should go tonight to hunt for dinner when someone plopped down beside him. He turned, his eyes becoming slits, ready to growl at the intruder. However, the growl died in his throat when he took in the blonde head bent over a pink and purple backpack that was being dug through._

_Finally, Beth looked up at him, eyes as bright as the sun, like she wasn’t sitting on some crappy bench with one of the most disliked students in school. She pulled a white plastic container out of her bag and held it out to him._

_"Here,” she offered, her smile somehow getting even brighter, “I just wanted to make you something, for finding my necklace that is.”_

_Daryl stared suspiciously at the Tupperware, feeling like surely she must be playing some joke on him. However, when the girl didn’t start laughing or pull the offering away, he finally reached out with a tentative hand to take the container. It felt solid and heavy, he had half expected it to be empty._

_Go on,” Beth encouraged, “open it! It is a family recipe, I hope you like it.”_

_With careful fingers, Daryl pried the lid off, as if he was afraid that he would break or mess up the container with the slightest touch. The rough boy didn’t even realize he was holding his breath until he suddenly released it all in one exhale. Inside was the most wonderful food he had ever smelled. It looked like lasagna, but so much better than the kind the cafeteria made. Tucked in one side was a fork, still wrapped in plastic to keep it from getting dirty._

_I didn’t even stop to consider if you like Italian food,” Beth blurted out, suddenly sounding worried._

_"I like it,” Daryl managed to choke out, not even beginning to tell the blonde how much he really did like it, and he hadn’t even tasted it yet._

_Great,” she beamed at him, “have a good lunch Daryl.”_

_She stood up, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and giving him one last smile before walking off to the cafeteria. Daryl just sat there for a few minutes, unsure if he had somehow fallen asleep on the bench and was in a dream. Finally, he picked the fork up and broke the plastic like he was opening a present on Christmas. He dipped the utensil into the lasagna and scooped a bit into his mouth._

_He almost groaned with pleasure. Even when his mom had been alive, she had never been big on cooking. Sure, she had made sure that Daryl and Merle were fed, but that usually consisted of a can of beans or some cold, stale donuts she had swiped from work. Nothing came close to what he was tasting right now. Not only was it good, it had been prepared for him, not like the cafeteria where food was mass produced for any student that would pay for it. It made Daryl’s neck redden to imagine sweet Beth cutting out this slab of lasagna and packaging it up with a fork and everything, just for his sorry ass. He scooped up another bite, enjoying it like no other meal he had tasted before. Although part of him wanted to eat it slowly, savor every bite, another, stronger part told him to eat it fast before he had it taken away from him. Soon, he had scraped every last morsel from the tupperware. He ran his tongue along his thin, chapped lips, savoring every taste._

The lunch he was eating right now didn’t inspire him to scarf it down nearly as quickly as Beth’s lasagna had all those years ago. Daryl took his time, not ready to go back to work. When the hour ended, he threw his bag in the trash and headed back inside.

“The guy with the Ford F-250 wants a grill guard put on his truck,” Dale told Daryl as he entered the small little office.

“Mmm,” Daryl mumbled, nodding his shaggy head.

Dale was used to Daryl’s taciturn ways by now.

“Was talking to Hershel this morning,” Dale continued, “heard his youngest daughter is back in town, and finished getting her education degree. He is so happy to have his whole family back together.”

Daryl could almost feel his heart stop. It was true, the rumors were true. Not that it mattered, not that Beth’s being back changed anything. He needed to quit living in the past.

“Gonna go look at that truck,” Daryl grumbled, walking right out the door.

When he finished, he worked on the next truck, then the next. Sometimes, he enjoyed getting lost in his work, having to focus so hard that his wandering thoughts were pushed out of his mind. However, it always ended. Five o’clock came and passed and all the other guys had left.

“Why don’t we call it a day,” Dale called out to him from the front office, “think you have done plenty.”

“Rite,” he spat out, dropping the wrench back into the toolbox dejectedly.

“Don’t worry,” Dale chuckled at him, “there will still be plenty of work to do tomorrow.”

Daryl grunted before attempting to wash the oil and grease off of his hands. Then, he grabbed his keys and headed out to the parking lot, where his old, blue truck was parked. It was rusting and had none of the fancy door buttons or even working a/c, but it got him from one place to another. He couldn’t help but flash back to high school as he stepped out onto that hot asphalt.

_Daryl stood at the edge of the parking lot, watching as students poured out of the building and headed for their vehicles. Of course, Daryl didn’t have a vehicle, he didn’t even legally know how to drive, although Merle had given him a few rather questionable lessons. His hands gripped the plastic container he was holding. It only felt right to return it to the owner, especially after what she had done for him. He had washed it out the best he could in the crappy little sink in his bathroom at home. There hadn’t been any soap and he had to dry it off with a tattered towel, but hopefully it looked clean enough._

_However, when he brought it to school, intending to return it to Beth, he had run into another problem. Beth was constantly surrounded by people. Until he had started watching her this morning, he never realized that a single human being could spend so much time interacting with others. He hadn’t wanted to go up in front of her friends to give her the dish back. Not only because he didn’t enjoy being around people, but because of the questions that would be directed to Beth if he did so. Surely her friends would want to know why the school’s redneck was giving her something. He didn’t want to cause people to talk or tease her for interacting with him. She had already been sweet enough to feed him, he didn’t need to go around and cause problems for her. Instead, he had decided to wait until after school, hoping to catch her alone._

_He felt like a total creep standing there, waiting for the young girl to come out. He knew other students were staring at him, he usually never hung around the campus any longer than he had to, once the bell rang he was gone. The students gradually dwindled down, getting picked up by a bus or their parents. Just as Daryl was about to give up, he saw Beth exiting a gym building, still dressed in her track uniform, her backpack slung on one shoulder and holding a stack books with the other arm. Even from where Daryl stood, her smile was striking. It was like she had been filled with a light that no one could put out._

_Uncertainly, Daryl moved to follow her as she headed into the parking lot. Suddenly, he wasn’t so sure about this approach. What was he supposed to say? Were plastic things supposed to be returned? Would he scare Beth by following her to her car? The rough young man was about to turn around when suddenly, one of Beth’s books tumbled out of her hand and hit the pavement._

_“Darn it,” the young girl cursed, biting her lower lip as she tried to figure out how to pick up the book while balancing everything else she was holding._

_Without thinking, Daryl’s feet just moved in her direction, and before he knew it he was bending down to scoop the English II book up off the ground. When he straightened up, the blonde was positively glowing, something he still wasn’t used to people doing around him._

_“Why thank you Daryl,” the pretty young woman said with a slight southern accent._

_She motioned for him to put the book on top of the others she was holding and almost dropped another in the process._

_“Here girl,” he rasped, grabbing a couple books off the top to help her._

_“That is even better,” Beth said enthusiastically, “I wasn’t sure how I was gonna make it to my truck.”_

_Daryl just nodded his head and then followed her as she wound her way through the remaining vehicles in the parking lot. Finally, she stopped in front of a little, white Ford ranger. She dug around in her backpack until she pulled out a set of keys with a small flower keychain attached. The blonde unlocked the passenger side door and deposited her backpack on the floor and her books on the seat. When she turned around, Daryl let her take the books out of his hands. Her soft fingers brushed his callused ones, sending shivers down his whole arm._

_“And this,” he offered, pushing the plastic container towards her._

_“Oh, you even washed it,” Beth observed, “did you like it?”_

_“Was good,” he said, his voice gravelly from lack of use._

_“Great,” the blonde exclaimed, as she took it from him._

_“Everything okay here Beth,” came a male voice from behind them._

_Daryl looked over to see a boy in the school’s football uniform making his way over. The young man had short brown hair and even after football practice, looked cleaner than Daryl usually did after showering. He was glancing questionably at Daryl and moved between him and Beth._

_“Oh, Jimmy,” Beth breathed, “this is Daryl. He was just helping me carry a few things.”_

_“Yeah,” the football player said, still on edge, “I know who he is.”_

_“I’m gonna go,” Daryl mumbled, feeling his hackles rising from the way Jimmy was looking at him._

_“Bye Daryl,” Beth called after him, not sounding like she wanted to go in the least._

Current Daryl shook his head and got into his truck. No need to keep reliving old events. He needed to focus, he had been doing so well lately and now some town gossip had him all out of sorts. The gruff man drove out of town, passed all the corn fields, out to his little cabin on the edge of civilization. However, if he thought his trip home wouldn’t trigger any memories, he was wrong, because in the end everything reminded him of her.

_His clothes were wet and sticking to his body, his shoes making squishing noises with every step. The cold rain pelted him, but this was the only way to get home. Merle sometimes picked him up, but recently his older brother had been missing in action. There was no chance in hell his father would ever pick him up, even if his old man tried he was probably too drunk to steer without crashing. His father never felt it worth his time to fill out the paperwork required to allow Daryl to ride the bus home, so Daryl was used to walking by now, he had been doing it since he was 8 years old. This particular day was worse than usual though. He had known as he sat in class, watching the wind whip the rain onto the window that the walk home was going to horrible. However, now that he was actually outside, it was confirmed, it fucking sucked._

_Suddenly, a truck pulled off the road and alongside Daryl. His first reaction was that it was some drug dealer, coming to beat him up because Merle hadn’t paid up. However, after a second, he recognized the little, white truck. It came to a stop and suddenly, the passenger door was opening._

_“Get in,” offered Beth, from her leaned over position to open the door._

_“Don’t think your boyfriend would like that,” Daryl declined automatically._

_“He don’t own me, get in,” Beth argued, daring him with stubborn eyes to try and fight with her._

_Giving up, Daryl climbed in, immediately sighing from the relief of being sheltered from the storm._

_“Here, you can use this,” Beth suggested, digging a pristine, white towel out of her gym bag._

_The redneck raised the towel to his face and immediately was assaulted by the clean, lavender smell the cloth gave off. His clothes sure never smelled like that, no matter how many times he washed them. After drying off his hair and face, Daryl looked over to see two azure eyes staring at him with curiosity. He immediately felt uncomfortable being the center of attention and considered getting back out. Before he could, Beth started talking._

_“Where is your house at,” she asked, putting the truck into drive._

_“Out by the cemetery,” Daryl replied, watching with fascination as she pulled the truck back onto the road._

_It wasn’t often that he got driven around, when he did it was by Merle, who was by no degree near as careful or as gentle on the break or the gas as the blonde beside him. Country music was coming from the radio, but was almost drowned out by the sound of the rain hitting the roof of the truck. Daryl fidgeted, feeling uncomfortable and tried to look anywhere except at Beth._

_He noticed that the little locks on her truck doors had little eight balls on the top. The bench seat in her truck was covered with a type of blue carpet material and a little flower car scent hung from her review mirror. Her truck wasn’t anything special or expensive, but it sure had character. Not to mention it smelled like Beth, a mixture of fresh rain, the sun, and something like strawberries. He could feel the aroma getting to his head, clouding his thoughts._

_“Shouldn’t be walking home in the rain,” Beth informed him, “you could catch a cold.”_

_Daryl didn’t know how to explain to Beth that he didn’t really have an option or that his catching a cold wouldn’t matter to anyone. Instead, he just shrugged his shoulders and looked out the window, hoping she would drop it. She seemed to sense his unease and unlike most of the people in his life who would detect such a weakness and exploit it, the blonde just changed the subject._

_“Daryl,” she began, “I have talked to you several times and I believe I have been so rude as to not even find out your last name.”_

_“Dixon,” he spat out, hating the way it branded him as one of his father’s children._

_“Dixon, Daryl Dixon,” Beth said, rolling his name around on her tongue and for the first time ever, Daryl didn’t hate the way his last name sounded._

_The good feeling was quickly replaced with anxiety as they got closer to his house. Daryl didn’t want Beth seeing the crappy trailer he lived in with his dad. He didn’t want her being anywhere near the shit that was his life and his family. She had been nice to him up to now, but if she saw that he was trailer trash, even she wouldn’t look at him the same way anymore._

_“Stop,” he suddenly growled, with more force than he intended to._

_Beth slammed on her breaks in the middle of the road, which luckily was empty._

_“Here’s good ‘nough,” Daryl told her, answering her confused expression._

_“It really isn’t a problem Daryl,” Beth insisted, “I can drive you all the way to your house, it is still raining.”_

_“Naw,” Daryl said, climbing out of the warm comfort of the truck and out into the chilly rain, “ain’t that far.”_

_“You sure,” the blonde questioned, staring at him with doe-like eyes filled with concern and something else he couldn’t put his finger on._

_“Preciate it,” he muttered, his cheeks reddening, before slamming the door and walking off along the cemetery towards his house._

_It took a few moments, but thankfully, he heard Beth’s truck turn around and head off. At the last minute, Daryl glanced back to see her truck turning onto another road. He shook his head, spraying water all around him and continued on, trudging through the puddles. Despite the cold and rain, he had just the slightest upturn of his thin lips._


	2. You were the Perfect All American Girl

**Daryl’s POV**

             Daryl slammed the door to his truck, ending the memory. His boots crunched on the rocks that littered his dirt driveway. He made his way up the old, wooden steps to the porch in front of his cabin. He opened the door, which he never kept locked, because there was nothing really worth stealing. He made himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and grabbed a jar of pig’s feet and a Budweiser before heading outside. The gruff man plopped himself down on a rusty chair, whose green paint was peeling badly. He set his meal on the wooden table he had carved by hand, which considering it was his first try, had turned out pretty good. He ate the food slowly, his ears listening to the sounds of the forest, his eyes catching each scamper of a squirrel.

             Usually, he could get lost out here, but today, his mind was a whirl. Blonde hair flashed in his mind, big, blue eyes stared right into his soul. Daryl’s hand clutched beer can, as if it would keep him grounded in the present.

_“If you like hanging around dirty, rednecks so much, be my guest,” yelled Jimmy in front of a whole courtyard of students, “we are through!”_

_Daryl had heard there was a commotion outside, not because someone had told him per se, but his sharp ears picked up the bits of conversation from other students in the hallway. It didn’t matter to him, he couldn’t care less about the trivial school gossip and fights. However, he did always go through the courtyard after school let out, so he ended up catching the very tail end of the scene. As soon as he heard Jimmy yelling, his curiosity piqued, but it wasn’t until he caught sight of a certain blonde in tears that his attention hyper-focused on the scene unfolding in front of the whole school._

_Everything made sense at once. The football douchebag was yelling at Beth for being around him, was breaking up with the sweetest girl in the school in the most horrific way possible because of him. Of course word had gotten around that she had given him a ride, it was a small town. Now, here was the angel of a girl, being yelled at and treated like shit, just for associating with him. It was too much, Daryl’s vision went red as he began heading towards the idiot quarterback, roughly pushing students out of the way._

_“Don’t talk about him like that,” cried Beth, who somehow sounded strong even through her tears._

_“How else am I supposed to talk about someone who comes from trailer trash, whose brother is a fucking druggie and his dad is an alcoholic,” shouted Jimmy, getting closer to ex-girlfriend and causing her to back up, “everyone but you seems to know to stay away from him!”_

_Jimmy didn’t even see him coming, Daryl’s hand grabbed the back of his shirt collar and yanked him away from the cowering girl._

_“What the hell you think your doin,” he growled, getting his face right up in Jimmy’s._

_“Speak of the devil,” Jimmy spat, “don’t know how to keep your hands off other people’s girls.”_

_“She ain’t your girl,” hissed Daryl, before punching him straight in the face._

_Jimmy reeled back, holding a hand to his nose and groaning._

_“Fucking redneck trash,” he moaned out._

_“What you say to me,” snarled Daryl, before kicking Jimmy’s feet out from under him and then climbing on top of him, pounding a couple more fists into his pretty-ass face._

_“Daryl,” cried a sweet, familiar voice, “stop, Daryl!”_

_He got in a couple more punches before he felt the fire leave him. Blood was streaming all down Jimmy’s face, Daryl knew from experience that the kid’s eye would be black and his cheek purple before the sun set._

_“Daryl,” breathed Beth, suddenly standing right by him and grabbing his hand to pull him up off his defeated opponent._

_Daryl suddenly came to the realization of where he was and how many students were staring at him. He wanted to shrink in on himself, hide from all of their prying eyes. His knuckles ached as he clenched them at his side and stared down at the ground. What was even worse than the attention placed on him, was the attention placed on Beth. After this, only more students would associate Beth with him. Daryl may be used to their taunts and exclusion, but Beth sure wasn’t. The rough young man had a sudden urge to pull Beth behind him, to punch everyone light’s out until they forgot what they had just seen, anything to protect the kind girl beside him._

_“Dixon,” rang out the truancy officer, Mr. Bowers, who happened to be walking by, “in the office, NOW!”_

_“But,” disputed Beth, “it wasn’t his fault, he was provoked!”_

_“If you punch other kids, you get punished,” barked Bowers, dismissing the blonde before picking up Jimmy by the arm as the kid wobbled in his effort to stand._

_Daryl just hung his head and began shuffling towards the office. It didn’t really matter to him if he got in trouble or not, he had been in detention plenty of times before. Before he could walk away, a small hand grabbed his elbow and caused him to turn back._

_“Thank you,” whispered Beth, a small smile on her face._

_That was all Daryl needed to feel like punching Jimmy and getting sent to the office was worth it. He had done something for Beth and made her feel better. Whether or not she would be treated different by other students tomorrow was another question, but for now it was enough._

**Beth’s POV**

              _“Wait,” coughed Maggie around her bite of chicken, “who did what?”_

_Beth’s whole family turned to her as she began repeating the end of her school day in more detail._

_“Jimmy was being a total jerk to me in front of the whole school,” the youngest daughter explained, “yelling about how I shouldn’t be giving rides to Daryl, how I should stay away from him, then he said we were over. Suddenly, Daryl was just there and punching the lights out of him!”_

_“Hump,” chuckled Hershel quietly, trying to hide his amusement._

_Beth knew her daddy well enough to know that he thought what Jimmy got served him right. Her father wasn’t one to encourage violence, but he also wouldn’t stand for anyone treating his little girls with anything less than total respect._

_“Daryl,” asked Shawn, “as in Daryl Dixon???”_

_“Yeah,” Beth confirmed, “isn’t he in your grade?”_

_“No,” Shawn clarified, “grade above me, but still, everyone knows him. Well, they don’t really know him, they just know not to mess with him and otherwise he just kinda keeps to himself.”_

_“Well, anyone who will punch the jerk who isn’t treating my little sister right is okay in my book,” Maggie declared, taking a savage chunk out of her chicken, fuming with what Beth had just told her._

_The brunette had never liked Jimmy, always said he didn’t appreciate Beth enough and was too controlling. The few times her now ex-boyfriend had visited the house, Maggie had all but run him off with her snide remarks._

_“Bethany,” began her father, “I’m glad you did the right thing. I have heard enough around town to know that boy has a rough life. Giving him a ride was just how I raised my children to be and I am proud of you.”_

_“Thank you daddy,” beamed Beth, happy to find that her family was supporting her, “I was actually thinking, that with Thanksgiving coming up, maybe I could invite Daryl to join us!”_

_“Hmmm,” her father leaned back in his chair, contemplating the idea, “well, it ain’t like we won’t have enough food with Patricia and Otis also coming over and cooking.”_

_“In that case, can Glenn come,” Maggie asked, jumping at the chance._

_“Doesn’t Glenn have his own family or is he just too terrified of you to tell you no,” teased Shawn._

_“Glenn’s family lives in another state and he doesn’t have the money or time to go see them right now,” shot back Maggie, “besides, the only one who should be terrified of me right now is you!”_

_“That’s enough,” cautioned Hershel, causing his children to settle down, “I suppose a few extra guests wouldn’t hurt. Annette was always big on the spirit of Thanksgiving, always wanted to invite those who didn’t have family or money to afford a nice meal. She would often help out at the food pantry and find a few extra guests to bring for Thanksgiving dinner. I think it would only be fitting to remember her by following in her footsteps.”_

_Everyone fell silent, remembering how special their mother had made the holidays. This would be their first Thanksgiving without her._

_“Hey, in that case,” Shawn said, breaking them out of their downcast thoughts, “I’m gonna bring Matt. I’m pretty sure his parents do Thanksgiving lunch, so he can have a Thanksgiving dinner with us.”_

_“Boys,” exclaimed Maggie, with a role of her eyes, “only boys would want to eat two Thanksgivings.”_

_Beth couldn’t help but giggle, she loved her siblings so much._

**Daryl’s POV**

              Daryl smiles at the warm memory of Thanksgiving at the Greene family farm. Originally, he had been shocked that Beth had even invited him, now that he knew her better, it really wasn’t all that surprising.  He had turned down her generous offer, but little did he know then just how persistent the blonde could be. Finally, feeling like he was signing his own death certificate, Daryl had agreed to spend Thanksgiving with Beth and her family.

              _Daryl stood on the front porch, still in awe of the Greene farm. After putting on the nicest clothes he owned (just a second-hand white shirt and blue jeans without too many obvious holes), he had walked all the way across town, which had taken him a good part of the afternoon. When he first got to the gate, he had felt unsure, it looked a lot nicer and more intimidating than he had envisioned. Cautiously, he made his way in and walked down the drive, past all the fields, feeling like he was going to be shot for trespassing any second. Finally, he had made it up to the old, Southern house, which looked like something out of a story book. The house had two levels and the windows seemed to glow with warmth and happiness. Now that Daryl was on the porch, sweaty from the walk, he unsure of what to do next._

_Never in his life had Daryl visited a friend’s house, he didn’t know what was acceptable protocol. When he went with Merle to visit people they usually just barged through the door but that didn’t feel right.  Should he ring the doorbell? Should he knock? Should he shout out his welcome? Should he just wait until someone came out? Just as Daryl began to get agitated at his lack of knowledge in social encounters, the main door opened and Beth’s pretty face appeared on the other side of the screen door. Seeing Beth wearing a floral dress that she just shone in, made Daryl feel instantly self-conscious of his own shabby clothes. Her hair was pulled up in a half pony tail and her heart necklace hung around her neck. Beth was already the prettiest girl in school and she never came to school dressed up like this.   Instantly, her smile became five times bigger and it almost looked like she jumped in excitement. The younger girl opened the screen door, ushering him inside._

_“Daryl,” she exclaimed, “we didn’t even hear you come up the drive! I’m so glad you are here, I didn’t know if you would actually come! We just got back from church, so you have perfect timing.”_

_Feeling overwhelmed, Daryl just shrugged and allowed the bubbly blonde to grab his hand and pull him into the house. While Beth gave him a tour of the house, he tried his best to keep his eyes from drifting to the good-looking girl in front of him._

_“This is the dining room,” Beth told him, indicating towards a large oval table._

_Daryl stared for longer than necessary at the expensive wooden table with a beautiful red tablecloth and shiny dishes laid on top. He had heard and read about families sitting down to eat meals together, but had never actually experienced such an occasion, to him it was more like a fantasy than an everyday occurrence._

_“Is your guest here,” called a woman’s voice from the next room._

_“Yes, Aunt Patricia,” Beth responded in a sweet tone that Daryl never used with his elders, “Daryl just got here.”_

_“Well, bring him in,” encouraged the voice._

_Beth looked back at Daryl and must have sensed his nervousness because she paused before introducing him._

_“It’s gonna be okay,” she whispered to him, leaning in close, causing Daryl to get a whiff of strawberries, “they are just very excited to meet you, but don’t worry, they won’t mob you.”_

_Daryl nodded, feeling like he could trust this girl for some reason even when he had learned at an early age to trust no one._

_Beth’s hand slide into his and gently tugged him towards the kitchen. Amazing smells greeted Daryl’s nose and he could feel his mouth start to water. Next to the sink, an older woman with blonde curly hair was peeling carrots. She turned towards Daryl holding the peeler in her hand and Daryl had to fight the urge to flinch away from the potential weapon._

_“Daryl,” Beth introduced, “this is Patricia, her husband Otis has been working on the farm for my daddy for years. They just live the next field over.”_

_“Hi,” Daryl said curtly, not used to introductions._

_“Hey, Beth! This your boyfriend,” came a taunting voice and Daryl instantly whipped around to see a young man with short brown hair and hazel eyes come into the kitchen._

_“Shawn,” Beth moaned, “I told you to try and be welcoming and he is not my boyfriend. He is a friend from school, we have gone over this.”_

_“I know,” replied Beth’s older brother, sizing Daryl up, “but he is a friend and he is a boy and he is here for Thanksgiving, so he must be your boyfriend.”_

_Daryl could feel his cheeks and neck turning bright red. It was obvious that Shawn was teasing, but something about the idea of him dating Beth made him feel elated and about to throw up at the same time._

_“Ain’t like that,” the archer half-growled._

_“Course it ain’t man,” Shawn laughed, his grin lopsided, “don’t you know anything about little sisters, they exist to be teased.”_

_“If you say so,” Daryl said, completely ignorant of how most family dynamics worked._

_“Is this boy you were talking about the other night,” interrupted a female voice, right before yet another person strode into the kitchen, “the guy that punched Jimmy?”_

_The next person was another girl, much taller than Beth and almost her exact opposite. The newcomer had brown hair cut just below the chin and sharp brown eyes that didn’t seem to miss anything._

_“Yes, Maggie,” Beth said, sounding a bit flustered, “this is Daryl Dixon.”_

_“I have been wanting to meet you,” exclaimed Beth’s older sister, who strode towards him._

_Daryl was ready to back away apologizing for any trouble he had caused when the brunette stuck her hand out. The rough kid uncertainly took Maggie’s hand in his and was met with a tough handshake that showed her true strength._

_“I appreciate you standing up for Beth,” Maggie told him, “that Jimmy is a jerk, just wish I could have been there to see you punch him in the face.”_

_“Course,” he murmured, feeling relived that they didn’t blame him for the couple splitting up, but were actually thanking him._

_The siblings started talking, making Daryl sigh with relief that he didn’t have to contribute anymore. Then, suddenly, his brain caught up with what had been going on. Maggie had said Beth had talked about him. Daryl had never had someone talk about him, in a good way that is. The thought of the young blonde thinking highly enough of Daryl to mention him to her family was something he had never considered. He had half believed that she wouldn’t have even mentioned inviting him and they would kick him out the moment he showed up at the Greene’s doorstep. Yet, here he was, surrounded by warmth and food and people._

_“You have to meet daddy,” Beth suddenly said, turning her beautiful sapphire orbs on him._

_Daryl, who had been feeling somewhat comfortable hanging out on the edge of the sibling’s conversation, suddenly felt all the anxiety return. Daryl’s idea of a father was not a good one, it was pain and bullying and abandonment. Not only did Daryl feel nervous around older males, this particular one would have very good reason to hate him. He knew better than to think that fathers wanted their sweet angelic daughters, especially one as innocent as Beth, hanging around with the likes of a Dixon._

_“Uh,” he groaned, feeling frozen to the spot._

_“Or, we could help Patricia finish preparing the mashed potatoes,” Beth suddenly said, her quick eyes taking in Daryl’s sudden change in composure._

_“Yeah,” Daryl quickly agreed, wanting to be useful and as far away from Beth’s father as possible._

_“Here,” Beth said, handing Daryl a potato masher._

_While Daryl mashed the potatoes, Beth buzzed around the kitchen, grabbing things to add to the bowl like butter, garlic, pepper, and cheese. The coarse young man continued to help make gravy once they had finished._

_“I think we are about ready,” Patricia finally announced, “we just need to call the men inside and take all the scraps out to the chickens.”_

_“I’ll take the scraps,” said Daryl, quickly grabbing the pail full of bits of vegetables and fruits._

_“Just go right out the front door and take a right,” instructed Beth, “the chicken coop is within sight of the house.”_

_As Daryl went out the front door, Beth went out the back, calling in her father and Otis. The young man easily found the chicken coop. The chickens all had stripes of black and white and were as fat as they could be. They clucked as he approached, eyes following the bucket. He opened the door just far enough to get the pail through and chunked the food in. The birds instantly began pecking at the meal and Daryl couldn’t help but stand and stare for a while at them. He had never had any pets of his own, never been around any animals except the wild ones he killed and ate. He wondered if they had names. The teenager could almost picture Beth smiling as she named each one. At the very thought, his mouth turned up just the slightest._

_“Plymouth Rock,” came a masculine voice from behind Daryl, causing him to spin around, eyes wide with fear._

_Daryl realized he had instinctively dropped the pail and raised his arms up over his head. Slowly, he lowered his limbs just enough to see the owner of the voice. There stood an older man in ragged farmer’s clothes. He had white hair and blue eyes that were the exact same shade as his daughter’s. Those blue eyes were just as kind as Beth’s, but they also contained a deep sorrow, as if he had seen a lot in his lifetime. Those same intense eyes were turned full force on Daryl, as if the man saw everything about him. If Daryl weren’t mistaken, someday Beth’s eyes would be able to read people that well too._

_“The chickens,” continued the older man, as if nothing unusual had occurred, “they are Plymouth Rock chickens. They were bred in Massachusetts, used to be one of the most popular breeds of chickens in the United States.”_

_“Hmm,” mumbled Daryl, slowly lowering his arms all the way._

_“Name’s Hershel,” said the older man, nodding at him instead of trying to shake his hand, which Daryl appreciated._

_“Daryl,” the younger man managed to choke out._

_“How about we head inside, I think Beth is looking to get everyone together to eat, wouldn’t want the food to get cold” Hershel suggested, his eyes twinkling._

_The redneck nodded, his long hair hanging over his eyes, but he didn’t move. Hershel didn’t seem put out, he merely began walking back to the house. Still a bit hesitant, Daryl picked up the bucket and finally began shuffling along behind the man, noticing that Beth’s father had a slight limp as he walked. Hershel didn’t seem at all put off by his behavior. Instead, he continued to talk about the good characteristics of his chickens, how they were easy to manage, resistant to the cold, and had the best eggs he had ever tasted. The older man didn’t seem to expect Daryl to contribute to the conversation and for that the younger man was thankful._

_When they got to the porch, Beth was already there._

_“Daddy,” she exclaimed, “I thought you and Otis were on the other side looking at the broken tractor.”_

_“We were sweetheart,” her father reassured her, “just heard one of the horses making a fuss and went to check on her. You know how Nelly gets when spooked. On the way back I met this young man here.”_

_Beth’s eyes moved to Daryl, concerned that he seemed so withdrawn. He tried to smile just the slightest bit, to show her that everything was okay. It took her a moment, but she finally seemed to believe him._

_“Alright,” the blonde said cheerily, “well come in and get a spot at the table.”_

_Daryl sat down in a seat next to Beth. An Asian man had arrived while he was outside and was seated next to Maggie. The two were giggling and the way the man’s eyes were locked on the brunette, Daryl could only assume they were dating. A boy closer to his age was seated with Shawn, he looked a little nervous when he saw Daryl walk in. However, the guy seemed to settle down after some whispered conversation with his friend. Patricia brought out a huge plate with a steaming turkey on it. Daryl didn’t think he had ever seen more food in his life, he wanted to just scarf it all down, but first they had to say grace. They all bowed heads and Hershel led them in a prayer. The redneck didn’t know much about God or going to church, much less if he believed in it, but he felt it only respectful to bow his head too._

_After saying grace, Daryl tried to control himself, but he managed to pile more than twice the amount of food on his plate than anyone else at the table. He felt like he was in heaven, which was the only explanation of how he ended up sitting at the Greene’s house next to the prettiest, sweetest girl at high school and stuffing his face with the best meal he had ever eaten. Daryl had never eaten turkey before, the only meat ate was what he caught.  While the hunter had seen a few wild turkeys on occasion, he hadn’t been interested. It was much easier to skin a deer than to pluck a turkey, all those feathers and shit would take forever. The turkey, along with the mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, and pie was enough to make Daryl feel comatose. Never in his life had he felt too full to move. Around his house, a constant hunger pain always resided in the pit of his stomach, it just increased or decreased depending on what he had caught recently or if Merle decided to help him out._

_Despite his taciturn nature, Daryl was more than happy to sit at the table and listen, or “people-watch” as he called it. Sometimes, Daryl enjoyed observing others, watching them, studying them, as if he was viewing a completely different species. Things that were ordinary to them were extraordinary to the hunter. He watched Maggie and Glenn, how one of them might casually touch the other with a hand or a knee bump. Something that would make him flinch was so casual and light-hearted between the couple. His eyes moved to Shawn and the friend. The two boys snickered together and looked as thick as thieves. Daryl had never had a friend, other than Merle, whose brotherly taunting was equivalent to bullying half the time. Next was Hershel, who talked calmly and in good nature to Patricia and Otis. There was no yelling, no slurring of words, no stumbling around. It was as if everything Daryl knew had been turned upside down. Of course, he had read and heard stories of how other people lived, but he had never actually seen proof until this very moment. There were in fact good people and it astounded and shocked him._

_“What are you thinking,” came a half-whispered voice from his side._

_He looked over to find Beth’s blue orbs staring at him. He instantly reddened, feeling like he had been caught peeking at something he shouldn’t. Obviously she had been doing some observing of her own._

_“You just had a deep look in your eyes,” she explained, “you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”_

_“Just interesting,” he replied after a few moments thought._

_“Good interesting,” she asked, her head cocking to the side, causing her blonde hair to cascade over one shoulder in a very distracting way._

_“Yeah,” he grunted, his tone just a tad huskier and rougher than it normally was._

              And that was the moment Daryl realized that everything he had been raised to believe was a lie. It was the best kind of lie, because it makes you happy to realize the truth. Not that he expected his life to be all shits and giggles from there on out, but it had started a change in him that lead him to becoming a productive member of society rather than following Merle into the world of drugs and gangs and loose women. Now, he had this cabin, a place all to his own, and in general, no one bothered him. It was all thanks to the beautiful girl with the amazing smile that showed him what a family should be by accepting him into her own.


	3. We Go to the River and Find Us a Spot

**Daryl’s POV**

The sun has sunk down over the horizon by now, casting his porch into darkness. There are two chairs on Daryl’s porch, as if he doesn’t just sit there by himself every night. If he were truthful to himself, which he never is, he is hoping someday he won’t sit there alone. That a blonde head will fill that chair and fill the quiet with her singing. However, he was the one that messed all of that up, he can’t expect her to come back.

              _After the Thanksgiving meal, Daryl hadn’t anticipated much more. In his opinion, Beth had already done more for him than anyone else in his entire life ever had, to assume that she would continue wanting to hang out with him was mind-boggling. The first day back at school after the week off, Daryl had seen Beth walking in the hallway, with a friend on either side. He had leaned back against the lockers and watched her, enjoying the way her blonde hair shone as she tossed it. Then, suddenly, she turned to him and he immediately looked away, embarrassed to have been caught staring. When she and her friends walked by, he kept his head down, trying not to make the situation worse._

_“Hello Daryl,” chirped Beth, causing him to look up into her cheerful face._

_Both her friends were looking at him warily and seemed very confused by Beth’s behavior._

_The rough young man couldn’t manage much more than a grunt and a nod, but it seemed to satisfy her._

_“See ya around,” she told him with a grin that was somehow very personal, before walking off._

_Daryl could feel all the eyes on him, almost hear the questions in everyone’s head asking how Daryl Dixon was on talking terms with Beth Greene. However, a glare from him made everyone look away, even if the gossip had already started._

_It hadn’t ended there. For Christmas Break, Beth had Daryl over at the farm multiple times. The young man was more than happy to help out with chores around the place as long as he got to be around Beth and the amazing cooking. He was beginning to become more comfortable around Hershel, although he never let his guard down completely. Daryl was good at reading people though and Hershel truly seemed like a caring father, who was only dangerous if anyone were to threaten his family. Although to say that he fit in and felt relaxed around them was far from the truth, he had never felt more welcomed in his life._

_On Christmas Eve, he had been at the Greene farm helping wrap up pipes to keep the water from freezing. He had come back inside to a warm house, hot chocolate, and Beth laughing like crazy as Shawn and Maggie bickered. Daryl stayed in the corner of the room, observing. He felt like an outsider who was peering through a window, not able to interact but unable to look away, until Beth noticed him and put a mug of hot chocolate in his hand. He had never had hot chocolate before, the only things around his house other than water was alcohol. Hot chocolate was amazing he decided, especially when a certain blonde made it._

_As the day came to a close, Beth and he sat out on the front porch, watching the sun set in the sky. They didn’t talk much, but it was a peaceful silence. The blonde just accepted the fact that he wasn’t a huge conversationalist and he appreciated that. When the sun set, Daryl stood up to walk home, which he always lied about, saying his brother dropped him off and picked him up at the entrance to farm. As he was going down the steps of the porch, Beth stopped him, her eyes twinkling mischievously._

_“You notice anything different,” she asked, her voice high with excitement._

_Daryl’s eyes narrowed as he looked her up and down, then around the porch they were standing on. When he came up with nothing, she raised one eyebrow._

_“Look up,” she hinted._

_His gaze turned to the porch covering, where mistletoe was hanging by a red ribbon. Just as Daryl was trying to remember a long-forgotten, slight mention of what you do when you stand under mistletoe, he suddenly felt soft lips on his cheek and was overwhelmed by the smell of a scent that was uniquely Beth. His head whipped around so fast he almost got whiplash. The pretty girl had already drawn back, the flush to her cheeks betrayed her earlier confident tone._

_“Merry Christmas Daryl,” she told him softly._

_“Ain’t Christmas yet girl,” he had drawled, unsure of what else to say._

_“But I won’t get to see you tomorrow,” Beth replied in a dejected tone that did things to Daryl’s stomach._

_He had never had anyone care about whether they saw him or not. Finally, he just nodded and began the long walk home. Somehow, it didn’t seem that long though, since he was caught up in his own head. When he got home, Merle was there and already arguing with their paw. Daryl snuck into his room and shut the door, trying to drown out the yelling and just go back in time to an hour ago._

_The next day, his paw was passed out drunk on the couch. Merle woke up late in the morning and took him to get pancakes as a Christmas treat. Daryl didn’t dare say a word about Beth to Merle, he knew what his older brother’s reaction would be.  Beth was his bright light that he didn’t want to share, afraid that the slightest thing would blow the light out and it would be out of his reach forever. Instead, he ate the cheap pancakes and pretended like there was nowhere else he could be for Christmas other than following around his brother as Merle tried to find someone to get him his fix._

Thinking about his brother always caused Daryl to lose any peace of mind he currently had. Things would be better between the two brothers if Merle didn’t always try to drag his younger brother into every mess he managed to create. Any time Daryl began to get his life together, do the right thing, Merle showed up and ensured that chaos ensued. He remembers the first time Merle caught on that he was hanging out with Beth.

_Daryl clutched his side as he limped down the road. He should have really known better by now than to start anything with his paw. It had just made him so mad when he stepped into the junky trailer to see all of his mother’s old things thrown all over the floor, his dad tossing them around in his drunken fit. He had known what would happen, yet he still couldn’t help it when his mouth opened and started cussing out his dad and grabbing the precious objects away from the drunken man._

_However, Will Dixon wasn’t about to be told by anyone what to do. He had shoved Daryl into the kitchen counter and proceeded to hit and kick him until the younger man was gasping on the floor. His old man had sneered down at him and snatched up a picture of a young Laura out of a cardboard box and proceeded to tear it up. Then, the bastard had thrown the pieces at him and told him to stop being such a fucking mother’s boy. Overall, it wasn’t as bad as some of the beatings were, he had actually gotten off easy in terms of actual bodily harm. He knew from experience that his father could have done much worse. If his paw loved anything more than physically beating him up, it was knowing that he had hurt Daryl in a way the required no contact but left much longer lasting scars._

_Daryl knew by now he wasn’t supposed to show emotion around his dad, it was a weakness that was always instantly exploited, but he just hadn’t been able to stop himself. Just when Daryl thought he could take anything his dad could throw at him, Will managed to find a way to make the pain even worse and more personal._

_Now, he was out of the house and he didn’t really have any clue where he was going, he just needed to get away. He couldn’t stand the sight of his dad destroying the some of the last things they owned of his mother’s. Luckily, Daryl still had two things of his mother’s, Laura’s mother’s wedding ring and a picture of her holding Daryl as a baby with Merle by their side. He kept them hidden under a loose floorboard in his room, far away from the reach of his father. At some point, Daryl realized that his feet had led him all the way to the gate entrance to the Greene’s farm. He stood there a moment, wishing he could just hear Beth’s voice, as if that would soothe the pounding in his head._

_He was just about to continue on when he noticed something out of the ordinary. A brown mare was standing in the field, pawing nervously. The horse had a saddle on its back but no one else was anywhere in sight. He had seen it before, it was Beth’s favorite horse despite the animal’s decidedly jumpy nature. The blonde had told him that the horse just needed to learn to trust her and sure enough, after a couple months he had seen her riding the skittish mare. He had snorted at the sight, the horse had learned just like he had that Beth Greene was a force to be reckoned with when she put her mind to something._

_Daryl shuffled over to Nervous Nelly. Luckily, the mare recognized him from all the times Beth had dragged him with her to the barn to chat while she brushed her pet. Usually, the blonde carried the whole conversation with him only giving input when absolutely necessary. He grabbed the horse’s reigns, the movement causing his whole upper body to ache._

_“Ya run away when Beth was getting you ready to be ridden,” Daryl asked the horse, which snorted in response._

_“Won’t do no good,” he told the mare as he began leading it towards the house, “she is just gonna find you again, trust me.”_

_They moved slowly, partly because Daryl wasn’t feeling up to walking normally, partly because the horse kept stopping and snorting and turning its head from side to side. When he finally made it up to the house, Hershel and Shawn came running out._

_“Where’s Beth, is she with you,” asked the older brother frantically looking at him._

_That’s when Daryl felt his stomach drop out from under him. Something was wrong and he didn’t know what it was yet, but it involved Beth._

_“Naw, just found Nelly wanderin near the entrance to y’alls farm,” he replied, “what is going on?”_

_“Beth took Nelly out for a ride this morning,” Hershel informed him gravelly, “that was several hours ago.”_

_Daryl looked over his shoulder at Nelly, what had happened to her rider? He felt sick at the thought of anything happening to Beth._

_“Shawn,” Hershel instructed, “go get Maggie and Patricia and Otis, we need to start looking right away, all the spots she usually rides.”_

_“I’ll look too,” offered Daryl._

_“Put Nelly up and we will start,” the older man directed._

_Daryl took Nelly as fast as he could to the stalls, his own injuries no longer bothering him as much, and shut her up in her pen. When he came out, everyone was already gathered around coming up with a plan to search for Beth._

_“Patricia and I will go down by the lake,” Maggie ordered, “Dad and Otis can take the fence line, if Daryl and Shawn will take the trail to the river.”_

_Daryl followed Beth’s brother toward the forest. His eyes immediately began searching, he could see the hoof prints in the dirt road heading into the forest, but he saw none heading out. He nudged Shawn and pointed them out._

_“Of course she would take the hardest trail with the least trained horse,” groaned Shawn, picking up the pace._

_The two men made their way into the forest, following the narrow, almost overgrown trail. The hunter easily picked out the hoof prints, until suddenly they changed. What was at first short spaces between each print suddenly became deeper prints with more distance between them._

_“Horse got spooked,” he told Shawn, “started running, went off the path.”_

_“But the prints here keep going on the path,” the other boy disagreed, “we need to follow it.”_

_“Those are old hoof prints,” Daryl disputed, noticing how the ones Shawn was looking at were a bit more worn than the fresh ones he had been following._

_“We ain’t got time for this,” Shawn decided, “I’ll follow the path, you follow whatever you see, we can meet back up at the barn if we don’t find her.”_

_Daryl didn’t even bother agreeing, he just turned away and heading off in the direction he was sure the horse had run. He wasn’t used to tracking horses, but the disturbance they made was certainly bigger than most of the animals he hunted, making it easier. Just as he came around a large maple tree, he spotted a blonde head._

_“Beth,” he called out, breaking into a run._

_“Daryl,” cried the young woman from where she was sitting on the ground._

_Her face had dirt and tears all over it, she was clutching her ankle and had a huge scrape on her elbow. Leaves stuck in her blonde hair. As soon as Daryl reached her, he dropped on his knees to the ground, trying to make sure she was okay._

_“Are you hurt,” he demanded._

_“I’m okay,” the young woman reassured him, “I just twisted my ankle when I fell off Nelly. She just got so spooked when a couple of thrushes flew out of a bush on the trail.”_

_“Can ya move it,” he asked, his head already calculating the amount of time it would take to heal from his own experience._

_“A bit,” she told him, flexing her foot a bit, grimacing with pain._

_“Come on,” he told her, putting a hand around her waist and helping her stand up._

_When Beth got up, she clung to him more than he had expected. That is when he realized she was hugging him. He felt awkward, wasn’t sure really what to do with his arms as she burrowed into his chest, her arms tightening around his sore ribs but he didn’t dare complain for fear she would pull away. Finally, he put one hand on her shoulder._

_“It’s alright now,” he told her awkwardly._

_“Yeah, it is,” Beth agreed, suddenly coming out of his chest and staring up at him with the full force of her big blue eyes._

_He suddenly realized just how close they were to each other. It was terrifying and thrilling at the same time. Finally, he turned his head away and cleared his throat, trying to find the words to form a plan on how to get back to the house but they kept getting stuck in his throat. It was like he couldn’t think around that damn girl! All he could remember is how soft her lips had been on Christmas Eve and how close they were right now. He fidgeted, and Beth seemed to understand he was outside his comfort zone because she released him._

_“Ere, see if you can make it to the house,” he instructed, wrapping one arm around her waist to help support her._

_He honestly tried to keep from touching her as much as possible. No girl as pretty and sweet as Beth, and most certainly not her father, would want some redneck running his dirty paws all over her. Her kisses on his cheek, her hugs, that was all just Beth’s friendly nature, he couldn’t delude himself into thinking otherwise. However, Beth was seriously injured and in order to actually support her, he had to have a firm grip on the young woman. That was how messed up he was, Daryl concluded, even when Beth was in an accident, all his mind could think of was how well she fit into his side, how good she smelled, how soft she was._

_After a while of going slightly uphill, Beth was worn out._

_“Can we stop,” she asked, a bit out of breath._

_“Ya okay,” he asked, more worried than her situation required._

_“Yeah,” she promised, “I just need a break.”_

_“We are almost there,” he encouraged, “need to get that foot on ice as soon as possible.”_

_Beth didn’t seem to be listening to him, she was already leaning up against a tree with her eyes closed. She looked pretty tried. All of a sudden, he damn body and mouth started moving on their own._

_“Hop on,” he grunted, turning around._

_“What,” she asked incredulously._

_“Hop on,” he repeated, already inwardly regretting his words._

_“Seriously,” Beth skeptical voice came from behind him._

_“Yeah,” he promised, “this is a serious piggyback.”_

_The girly giggle from behind him sounded like music to his ears. Next thing he knew, Beth Greene had hopped onto his back. It was even worse than before, she was even closer to him, her hair tickling his face. Her delicate arms were wrapped around his shoulders and her strong legs around his stomach. His scars seemed to itch less, as if her warm body on his back was a soothing heat pack.  He had to do something to break the mood. As Daryl hoisted her up a bit higher to keep the blonde from falling off, he found the perfect words._

_“Yer heavier than ya look girl,” he teased, her laugh telling him she wasn’t insulted._

_They went mostly in silence after that, but it felt strangely intimate. Even after his legs started to burn, he didn’t stop. He didn’t want to put Beth down and besides, he was used to more pain than just sore legs. Finally, when they got close to the farmhouse, Maggie spotted them._

_“Out here,” the brunette yelled, “Daryl found Beth!”_

_The others came running out of the house._

_“Twisted ankle,” Daryl told Hershel, “need to ice her foot. Shawn is still out there looking on the riding trail in the forest.”_

_“Just get her inside son, I will get the ice” the older man instructed, “Maggie, go find Shawn and tell him Beth has been found.”_

_Daryl helped Beth all the way upstairs to her bed, almost wishing he hadn’t gotten her back so fast when he finally had to let her go. This was the first time he had been in Beth’s room, but it was just as he had expected, pretty and pink and full of light. Big windows gave the room a natural light, her bed had a light pink comforter with her laptop on top of it. Daryl grabbed her laptop and homework and moved them on the top of her dresser while she got onto the bed. For just a moment, there was an awkwardness as they stared at each other, but Hershel came in soon after. He immediately had Beth’s foot up and wrapped it before giving her an ice pack._

_“Thank you Daryl,” the older man said, turning to the scruffy high school kid who was hanging in the corner of his daughter’s room, looking very out of place, “we all appreciate the help you were today.”_

_“Ain’t nothing,” he muttered, “get better Beth.”_

_He left the room just as Maggie and Shawn were coming in to check on Beth. While Maggie hurried to Beth’s side, Shawn intercepted Daryl by putting a hand on his shoulder._

_“I’m not even mad that I was wrong about the tracks because now Beth is back safe and sound thanks to you,” Shawn praised._

_Daryl just nodded, happy that Shawn left it at that, before heading back outside.  He limped all the way back to the trash that was his home, only to find a motorcycle in the driveway. That could only mean one thing, Merle._

_Before Daryl even reached the screen door, his older brother came bounding out._

_“Bout time baby brother, where you been at,” his older brother asked, “good ol’ Merle was here to take ya out for some fun.”_

_“Helping Beth she was…..,” Daryl felt the words die on his lips as he realized what he had just said._

_“Who the fuck is Beth,” Merle asked, his attention turned full force on his younger brother._

_“No one,” Daryl said, trying to push past his brother._

_However, Merle wasn’t one to let that slide._

_“Has my little Darlina gone and found himself a girl,” cooed Merle, loving torturing Daryl, “and here I was worried that you were gonna turn out a fag or queer. Good thing ta know I raised you right.”_

_“Shut it Merle, “Daryl groaned, wishing for just a little peace._

_“Naw little brother, you need some educating in how to show a woman a good time,” Merle cackled, his plan already in place, “good thing ya got good ol’ Merle here to give you advice.”_

              Daryl chuckled, remembering how for weeks afterward Beth would exclaim “my hero” every time she saw him. It had given him a feeling in his stomach that at the time he hadn’t been able to put a name to. The nickname had also caused him to blush like crazy, which was most likely why the blonde had kept using it so often.

Merle hadn’t let the subject drop, he had loaded Daryl up with porn magazines and stories of his own adventures that still made the archer grimace at the thought of. Merle got around town enough to learn that Beth was Beth Greene was the town sweetheart/farmer’s daughter and after that he spent every moment provoking his younger brother. He dreaded the moment when Merle would met Beth, which turned out to be at his graduation. Somehow, Daryl managed to barely scrape by with the grades to graduate. Merle, although he would never admit it, had been proud of Daryl and even put on a non-obscene shirt to attend the event. Daryl had sat in a plastic chair, out on the football field as students were called. The whole time though he just glared warnings over at his brother, who had introduced himself to Beth on his own and sat next to her in the bleachers throughout the whole ceremony.

As soon as he had his diploma in hand, he went to save Beth, who had by some miracle not been completely sick of Merle. The blonde had taken pictures of him, while Merle went on about how his little baby brother was all grown up and laying thick on all the nicknames, like Darlina, just to see him color as Beth heard each one. Of course, it couldn’t have ended well, because it was Merle. Right before the two parted, Merle of course had to make an extremely suggestive comment about how he could take care of Beth if his younger brother wasn’t doing a good enough job of screwing her. That was when Daryl had all but dragged Merle back home.

It was completely dark now, much longer than he usually sat on the porch. The older man crushed his beer can under his foot before heading into the house. He threw all of his trash away before heading to the shower. The water heater didn’t work well so it only ever got lukewarm, he had to fix that at some point. His shower was short, he quickly toweled off, pulled on some boxers and fell into bed. His dream that night was a memory.

              _“I know how to put a worm on a hook,” the beautiful girl told him with a fiery look in her eye, “I didn’t grow up on a farm without learning anything.”_

_“Well go for it then girl,” he snorted, holding the cup of worms he had gathered out to her, trying not to laugh at her serious expression as she chose her bait with care._

_True to her word though, Beth did manage to get the wriggling creature onto her hook. When she looked up and found him watching her, a smirk spread across her lips that did things to him he couldn’t explain. Then, the young woman turned around and cast her line out into the river._

_They were sitting out on a long-abandoned little pier. Daryl had mentioned going fishing a couple of weeks ago and sure enough, Beth had jumped at the chance. It still surprised him how happy she was to spend time together._

_“Bet I’m gonna catch the biggest fish,” she taunted._

_“Yer on,” Daryl drawled, “but what are we bettin?”_

_“Well what do you want,” she asked, biting her lip as she looked at him, as if she was trying to drive him crazy on purpose._

_The rough youth looked away, trying to focus on anything other than the girl next to him._

_“If I win, ya got to eat one of these,” he said, holding up a worm._

_The look of disgust in those big, blue eyes told Daryl he had set the bar pretty high._

_“Don’t have to bet if you don’t think yer gonna win,” he taunted._

_“Oh, but I plan on winning,” Beth challenged._

_“And if ya win, what happens,” Daryl asked, curious about what she could possibly want._

_“A kiss,” the blonde said suddenly, with no warning or hesitation._

_The archer all but almost fell off the pier into the water. He looked over at Beth, who was intent on fishing and moving her legs back and forth from where they dangled over the water. He wasn’t completely sure if he had heard her right, maybe he had made a mistake._

_“I want you to give me a kiss,” she repeated, looking over at him and cocking her head to the side, “like ya know….not just on the cheek. A kiss that means something.”_

_His face must have gone bright red, he could feel himself burning from where he sat frozen. Beth seemed to have realized that she had pushed him too far._

_“Or if not…..,” she replied, seeming uncertain, “I wouldn’t mind having you carry all of our stuff back to the truck, and you have to clean whatever I catch.”_

_Daryl just grunted, which she seemed to take as affirmation. It was amazing how the blonde could be so uncertain one moment and then completely carefree the next. She was already back to humming and slowly reeling in her line. Daryl on the other hand was the furthest thing possible from at ease. His mind was running in a million directions._

_“Why in the world would Beth want me to kiss her,” he asked himself, it certainly wasn’t something he hadn’t thought about but never in a million years had he considered that she would actually want him to._

_The only times he had ever kissed someone was when he had tagged along with Merle to some parties and Merle had shoved women at him. His older brother had insisted that Daryl get intimate with the sleazy women he found because in his words “he wanted to make sure Darylina didn’t turn out to be gay or something, baby brother had to learn to appreciate a pair of tits right in front of him”. It had never amounted to much, some unenthusiastic kissing, some feeling each other up. Usually the women were so high or drunk that if Daryl stopped they would just stagger off in search of more substances._

_Daryl had no clue if he was good at kissing, wasn’t like he ever talked to those women again, they probably didn’t even remember him, which he would like to keep it that way. A girl like Beth Greene though, there was no way anything Merle had taught him would be any good in a situation like this. Not that a lot of what Merle had taught him was ever applicable, but in this case even less so._

_“I got one,” exclaimed Beth, jolting her companion out of his own thoughts._

_Sure enough, the blonde was reeling something in. Daryl watched as she pulled up a good size bluegill. She needed some help getting the fish off the hook, but they soon added it to their ice chest._

_“Don’t get too cocky,” he grumbled good-naturedly, “that ain’t near the biggest fish in this river.”_

_“But I’m currently in the lead,” she said with a huge grin, completely ignoring any attempt of his to make her feel worried._

_“Well see about that,” He snorted, throwing his line in again after putting new bait on it._

_Within about ten minutes, Beth caught a smallmouth bass. The way she danced around was too cute for Daryl not to smile. He wished it could always be like this, that he never had to go home. He always felt the most relaxed out in nature. Usually, he preferred to be by himself. However, fishing with Beth was a new sort of peace and happiness that he was really enjoying._

_Soon, he felt a tug at his line and reeled in a largemouth bass._

_“Whose in the lead now,” he taunted, throwing his catch into the cooler._

_“It ain’t over yet,” Beth replied._

_They enjoyed fishing for another couple of hours, only reeling in smaller fish, most of them had to be released. Just as they were about to call it quits, Beth started squealing._

_“It’s a big one,” she exclaimed, as she carefully reeled it in._

_“Don’t mess it up Greene,” Daryl teased, secretly enjoying the sight of the blonde so excited about getting a fish._

_“I won’t Dixon,” the young woman fired back._

_It took a few minutes, but sure enough Beth reeled in a catfish that was the clear winner._

_“Looks like you are carrying my stuff and cleaning my fish,” the blonde said with a satisfied smile, handing her fish to Daryl._

_“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, throwing her prize into the cooler before picking everything up while Beth washed her hands in the river._

_He lifted up the cooler, which was much heavier now and walked up the short hill to where Beth’s truck was parked. The blonde appeared beside him, getting the tailgate down so he could load the things up. She jumped up into the bed and put things in place as he brought them up to her. Her shorts had her long, slender legs on display like when he had first met her. When he finished bringing everything up, she jumped down. Her hair was all over the place, her cheeks were a bit too red from all the sun, and she smelled a bit like fish. Daryl thought he had never seen a more wonderful sight. His mind skipped back to their earlier conversation, to the first demand Beth had made for their bet._

_He watched as she closed up the tailgate and turned around to head towards the driver’s side. Somehow she ran into him just a bit and was about to back up, when he suddenly bent down and drew his lips across hers. He meant it to just be a slight graze, almost nothing, but somehow all of a sudden Beth’s arms were around his neck pulling him closer and her soft lips were moving against his. Unlike any of the other times he had kissed anyone, this time felt so good. Beth’s lips were so soft and her little gasps of breath sounded like heaven. Of its own accord, his right hand found its way to Beth’s hip, pulling her closer._

_When they finally pulled away they were both panting and Beth’s cheeks were redder than before. Despite the intimacy they had just shared, or because of it, Daryl felt the need to step back a few feet._

_“Beth….I shouldn’t of…..ya deserve better….,” Daryl began, immediately regretting his actions despite enjoying them immensely._

_“Daryl,” Beth cut off, “you are a good man, I don’t know what you think is wrong, so stop. I asked you to, I wanted you to.”_

_“Beth,” Daryl tried again, “ya don’t understand….my family ain’t like yours, I can’t be the person ya deserve, I wasn’t raised like that.”_

_“Then tell me, help me understand,” she challenged, her blue eyes landing on him like they were challenging him._

_“Ain’t worth talkin about,” he brushed off, “father’s a piece of shit and my brother ain’t much better, you met him.”_

_“I don’t care who your family is Daryl,” Beth told him, “I know who you are and that is enough.”_

              Then, she smiled at him and got in the truck. All of a sudden, Beth started beeping the horn like crazy.

              “I’m coming,” he mumbled, sitting up-right in bed, only to find that it was his alarm beeping, not Beth’s truck.

              Every damn thing just reminded him of her. He yanked a shirt on over his head and grabbed a pair of jeans off the floor. He needed to get to work, needed to get her out of his head. The gruff man plopped a piece of toast in the toaster and opened up a can of vienna sausages. When the toast popped up, he grabbed it and added a couple of the fatty pieces of meat before grabbing his keys. He was chowing down as he slipped on his boots and opened the door. Daryl was mid-bite when he froze in his tracks. He had finally lost his mind. He thought about her so much he had somehow conquered up an image of Beth standing right there, in front of his trailer house. It had been four years since he had last seen her, but she had just gotten more beautiful. The blonde’s hair was curled and she wore jeans and boots with a white tank top.

              “Beth,” he gasped in disbelief, considering for a moment that she might actually be there, standing in front of him.


	4. Didn't Have a Clue About Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your comments and compliments, I really appreciate your encouragement! I hope y'all enjoy this next chapter. I decided to do something new and use Beth's perspective. P.S. for some reason the rich text format kept changing from an indent at the beginning of the paragraph to no indent, I couldn't get it to change and it would take too long to fix it by hand. If anyone knows how to change that let me know.

**Beth’s POV**

              Beth had tried to forget about Daryl, she really had tried her best. However, Daryl Dixon wasn’t someone easily forgotten. The blonde had dated other people in college. The most serious being a nice, young man named Zach.  Zach had been smart, sweet, handsome, and he had really cared about her. However, in the end he just couldn’t be the person Beth fell in love with, no matter how hard she had tried. The blonde would hear his soft voice and long for a gruffer, more gravelly one. When they held hands, she would miss the feel of calluses against her palm. When she looked into his brown eyes, she couldn’t help but think of another set of eyes, much bluer and more observant. When they kissed, she didn’t feel the sparks in her stomach like the one time when Daryl had kissed her.

              The last time she had seen Daryl was five years ago. He had graduated and been working for Dale a couple years, Beth had been starting out as a senior in high school. Despite Daryl no longer attending school, the two of them found time to hang out together, usually on their own. The rough young man had taken her out into the forest and taught her how to use his crossbow. Beth had convinced Daryl to go hiking with her. They had even drank moonshine together once, before Beth was even old enough to be allowed to drink. They were so close, yet they had never kissed again. The blonde thought about it all the time, but she also had known Daryl well enough to not push him before he was ready. It had all been going so well, until Daryl didn’t show up for one of their outings.

_Beth had been sitting on the porch, waiting for Daryl to come pick her up in the blue truck he had recently bought off of someone in another town. He had never shown up. Of course, he was a bit pinched for money and didn’t have a cell phone, so Beth hadn’t been able to call him. Finally, an hour after when he should have been there, she decided to go check things out on her own. The young woman hopped into her little Ford ranger and drove over to Daryl’s cabin. It was perfect for him, slightly worn-down, but in the middle of nowhere, where he had all the peace and quiet he needed. Daryl had never really told her what his childhood was like, but Beth had pieced enough together from the few things he did say and what she heard in town. She was happy that he was out on his own and finally away from the negative influence of his family._

_When Beth pulled in the drive, she didn’t see Daryl’s truck there. However, after coming all this far, she might as well check. Beth knocked on the screen door, but there was no answer. She knew her friend didn’t keep his door locked, so she let herself in, feeling her worry grow. Nothing was out of place, but the owner was nowhere to be seen. His crossbow was against the wall in his bedroom, the only things missing were his keys and his truck. Feeling desperate, Beth reached in her purse for her flip-phone. She hated talking to Merle, but this was an emergency._

_“Hey sugartits,” came Merle’s usual response._

_“Where is Daryl,” Beth demanded, not feeling like putting up with the older brother’s bullshit at that exact moment._

_“Well how should I know sweet stuff,” asked Merle, “I ain’t the one that got him on a leash.”_

_“Thanks for nothing Merle,” Beth retorted as she snapped her phone shut._

_The blonde hopped back in her truck and drove all around town looking for any sign of Daryl’s rusty blue truck. She checked his work, the grocery store, the little café, anywhere he could possibly be. Finally, with a sense of dread settling in her stomach, Beth realized there was only one other place to check, Will Dixon’s house. She didn’t know exactly where it was, but the one time she had driven Daryl part way home she had gotten a good idea of the general area._

_The blonde didn’t know why he would go there, Daryl made it very clear how he felt about his father. However, she spotted Daryl’s rusty blue truck in front of the most dilapidated house in the neighborhood. The grass wasn’t cut, trash scattered around the lawn, and a stray cat was slinking under a rotting wooden gate in the backyard. The young woman put her truck in park and jumped out. The sound of glass tinkling as it was being broken filled her ears, yelling came from inside the house. Beth was running up the steps as she heard Daryl’s voice come out louder and meaner than she had ever heard it._

_“You son-of-a-bitch,” he hollered, “it was your fault Laura was so depressed that she turned to drinking and smoking! Don’t you dare talk about my mother badly!”_

_“That stupid old whore,” came a horrid cackle as Beth opened the door just in time to see Daryl’s back as he shoved his father to the ground._

_She didn’t know what to do, no words seemed right so she just continued standing in the doorway._

_Will noticed her before Daryl did._

_“Well well,” the drunk said in a tone similar but much meaner than Merle’s, “what have we got here. My pussy of a son finally managed to get some pussy of his own. Heard about it in town but was sure it wasn’t true until now.”_

_At those words, her friend spun around to stare at her with horrified eyes. In all of Beth’s time with Daryl, she had seen him be stoic, angry, focused, but never scared like he was right at that moment._

_“Now what would a pretty little rich bitch like you want with a boy as messed up as this,” taunted Will Dixon from the floor._

_Daryl’s father paused to spit some of his chewing tobacco on the floor before continuing._

_“He ever told you how his momma didn’t want him,” Will asked, with a grin that would have put the Cheshire cat to shame, “except she didn’t have enough money for an abortion. Got stuck with this shit-ass kid, he was hard to keep in line, oh, but I managed it all by myself after his poor mother gave up on him.”_

_“Shut up,” Daryl growled in a dangerous tone, which anyone else would have listened to._

_“No wonder she was so depressed she drank and smoked herself to death,” Will continued, as if Daryl hadn’t said a word, “look at the wuss of a son she had. I punished him for causing her death, did my best to give her the justice that she deserved. Not that I ever got a word of thanks from this miserable ass.”_

_At these words, Daryl moved towards his father, fists clenched._

_“Ohhhh, gonna be a big man are you,” laughed Will, not concerned in the least, “put me in my place why don’t ya? Just try kid, I don’t mind giving you another belting. Has that pretty thing seen? Ya know what I mean, seen how ugly you are underneath all of those vests ya wear? Ain’t no one ever gonna love you, that is exactly what you deserve.”_

_“Don’t listen to him Daryl,” Beth called, her voice full of emotion, “you know nothing could ever make me think less of you. Please, you don’t have to do this, you are better than this.”_

_The rough man, she couldn’t see him as a boy any longer, stood in the kitchen, arms trembling as if he wanted so bad to move but couldn’t._

_“Wuss like ever boy,” sneered the older man, slowly getting up, using the kitchen counter as a support, “remember how you used to sob after Laura was gone, just like a fuckin little girl. Haven’t grown any balls since then.”_

_Beth could sense the anger growing in Daryl, but she didn’t want him to get over his past like this, it wasn’t the right way. She knew Daryl, he was a good person, he didn’t get enjoyment out of beating people up. Sure, Will Dixon more than deserved being roughed up by the son he had tormented for years, but the action would only give Will more satisfaction. It would let him know that he was still causing his son pain and was controlling his actions so many years later._

_“Whatever happened in your childhood is over Daryl, beating your father up won’t change the past,” the young woman told sincerely, almost begging her friend to walk away, “you have to let it go or it will eat you up inside. You gotta stay who you are, not who you used to be.”_

_For a moment, it was quiet, but finally the rough man spoke._

_“Ya right, he ain’t worth it,” Daryl said, staring his father in the eye and letting his old man know that he didn’t have the ability to make his son feel or do anything he didn’t want._

_The archer turned around and headed back towards Beth, right as Will Dixon grabbed a knife off the kitchen counter. Beth didn’t know what happened next, she just acted, throwing herself in front of Daryl. The blonde yelped as she felt the blade slice across her cheek, then across her arm. Instantly, Daryl pulled her out of his father’s path, flinging her to the floor in his haste to get her out of harm’s way. The son grabbed his father’s arm, twisting it until he dropped the knife._

_“Don’t you ever touch Beth again,” he snarled, kicking his father in the gut._

_The old man doubled over, but then ran straight into his son, tackling him to the ground. Daryl landed a solid punch on Will’s nose, pushing his father off of him. Then, Beth in her daze realized Will was heading for her. She scrambled get away but was a bit disoriented, everything was spinning. All of a sudden, a shadow fell over Beth and Will, right before a golf club came down on older man’s head. Daryl’s father instantly fell unconscious. The young woman felt herself being lifted up by strong arms, pressed up against a warm chest._

_“I’m so sorry Beth,” came the familiar gritty voice, “I never should have let him get near you. I’m so sorry, I’m gonna get you to the hospital, it is all gonna be alright.”_

_“What the hell happened,” came Merle’s voice from far away._

_The blonde tried to tell Daryl it wasn’t his fault, but she was feeling very light-headed. Everything was hazy, then it went black._

              Present-day Beth sighed at the memory. She looked in the mirror at the light line that went across from one eyebrow to the end of her jaw. It had been shallow and if she wore make-up, it wasn’t even noticeable. The cut on her arm however went from her elbow to her pinky and there was no covering it up, unless she wore a long-sleeve shirt. Beth didn’t mind the scars however, what she minded was losing Daryl.

              After that day, they had never been the same. She had woken up in the hospital and been so happy to see him, tried to give him a hug. However, the hunter had shied away like her touch would burn him. After he was sure she was okay, he had left, his head hung down in guilt and shame. Merle had been there too and gone out to check on his brother.

              It hadn’t mattered that Beth told Daryl she didn’t blame him, that it wasn’t his fault, he still winced every time he saw her. Soon, he stopped agreeing to hang out, when they did run into each other, he kept things at a few clipped words. At first, she was determined to wear him down, but after a year, it was clear that he wasn’t going to allow her to change his mind. Time went on, Beth graduated, went to college, met Zach, and got her degree in education. She had never stopped thinking about Daryl though. When she got offer to be a teacher’s assistant at the little elementary school in her hometown, she would have had to lie if she said she only thought about being closer to her family again.

Beth looked out the window of her bedroom. It felt so good being home again. She loved smelling the hay every time she walked outside and hearing the rooster crow in the mornings. It was even better to walk downstairs and see Maggie, Shawn, and her daddy getting ready to eat breakfast. Everything was perfect, or almost perfect.

“What are you doing here Maggie,” Beth asked, surprised that her sister wasn’t at her and Glenn’s own house.

“Just wanted to wish you luck on your first day,” Maggie said.

“It isn’t even really my first day,” Beth corrected, “I don’t start until Monday, I was just going in today to fill out some of the paperwork and meet the teacher I will be assisting.”

“Still,” Maggie continued as she headed for the door, “it is an exciting day! Promise you will stop by later and tell me and Glenn all about it.”

“Of course,” Beth promised, a smile on her face.

“My baby sister,” exclaimed Shawn, wrapping her in a bear hug, “its so good to have you home.”

Although Beth loved Maggie, who was her go-to for girl talk, she had always had a special bond with her older brother. Most likely because they were closer in age, went to school together, shared some of the same friends.

“We are all real proud of you Beth,” her father said from the table where he was drinking his morning coffee and reading the newspaper.

“Thank you daddy,” Beth answered as she inserted two strawberry pop tarts into the toaster. After a few minutes, they popped up with a ding.

“Heading out,” she told them.

“Good luck,” both her father and brother yelled as she was heading out the door.

Beth took a bite of her breakfast and jumped into her truck. She pulled out and drove along the dirt road. It felt so good to be back, while she had enjoyed college, the big city life just wasn’t for her. The blonde thrived in small towns where everyone knew everybody and recognized their vehicle and knew their kids. She liked the lack of traffic, knowing every road like the back of her hand, it was where she was meant to be.

Beth pulled in at Dalton Elementary, got out and walked into the office.

“Young Miss Greene,” welcomed the secretary, who had been the secretary when Beth had gone there, “we are so happy to have an alumni join our teaching staff. My! How you have grown up!”

“It’s good to be back, Mrs. Peletier,” Beth said as she received a hug, “I can’t wait to start!”

“Here is your paperwork,” the older woman instructed, directing Beth into a small room with a table, “if you have any questions feel free to ask.”

It took Beth a few hours to fill out all the paperwork, which felt redundant since almost everyone there knew about half of the stuff she filled out. When she finished, Carol filed the papers away and took her to meet the teacher she would be assisting. The teacher turned out to be Amy, another blonde several years older than Beth. The age gap had kept them from ever being in the same school together, but the girls had met a few times a church. Amy’s older sister, Andrea, worked with Maggie on the city council.

Amy discussed the typical day and what would be expected of Beth. Overall, it was looking like they would make a good team. No tour was necessary, since Beth had gone to school here, so their talk ended just before lunch.

Beth went to the little café and grabbed a BLT sandwich, feeling like everything and everyone she saw was a throwback to four years ago. At one point, she thought she saw Daryl’s blue truck drive by, but upon closer inspection, it was too new and had no rust to be Daryl’s vehicle.

“Don’t be a fool,” Beth told herself, “just because you are back doesn’t mean anything has changed. Doesn’t mean he is suddenly going to show up and act like old times.”

She finished off her sandwich and hurried off to buy clothes that would be suitable for her new profession. Around the time Maggie would be getting off work, Beth headed out to her and Glenn’s house. Sure enough, her sister’s blue Toyota Camry was parked out front. The blonde rang the doorbell and was immediately ushered inside.

“Just what I needed,” moaned Maggie, “I’ve had to listen to Deanna all day! I love politics but sometimes talking in circles about issues all day can just drive you crazy. You are a much needed distraction! Tell me how your job was today.”

“Pretty good,” Beth began, “I’m going to be working with Amy, Andrea’s sister.”

“Hopefully y’all make as good of a team as Andrea and I do,” encouraged the brunette, “I think y’all will get along.”

“Me too,” agreed Beth, enjoying bonding with her sister.

“So, how about the juicy stuff,” Maggie prodded, “how have you and Zach been?”

“Oh,” stalled Beth, “about him….it didn’t quite work out.”

“Seriously, I’m not even surprised,” dead-panned Maggie, who never beat around the bush.

“What,” gasped Beth, “I thought you liked him?”

“I do,” conceded her older sister, “it’s you who didn’t like him.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Beth said flustered, “he was a great guy, took me on wonderful dates, he was really sweet.”

“I ain’t hearing that you say that you liked him though,” observed Maggie, whom nothing slipped by, “I think we both know why.”

“Maggie,” groaned Beth, hoping against hope that her sister would just drop it.

“It’s Daryl ain’t it,” she pushed on, “it’s pretty obvious, you have been nuts about him since you brought him home for Thanksgiving all those years ago.”

“He doesn’t feel the same way Maggie,” Beth grimaced, making herself say the words, “he doesn’t want to talk to me or be around me anymore, he made that clear.”

“You and I both know that the last thing Daryl Dixon ever does is make himself clear when he talks, he more just kinda grunts or nods,” Maggie observed, “have to be a freaking mind-reader to understand him.”

The blonde was saved from further argument by Glenn coming in the door bearing pizza from the store he managed.

“Heard you were going to stop by,” her brother-in-law said, “thought y’all might want something to eat.”

“You are the best,” exclaimed Maggie, kissing her husband after he laid the pizza box on the counter.

The three of them scarfed down the pizza, which was half meat lovers and half pineapple.

“How do ya’ll eat that,” wondered Maggie as her husband and sister dug into their slices of pineapple pizza.

“Babe,” explained Glenn, “it is like the best topping. The pineapples are sweet, the ham is salty, the cheese is gooey, it is a wonderful combination.”

Beth groaned into her slice in agreement. They all started laughing at her reaction. After a few hours of catching up, Beth finally headed home. As she was leaving, Maggie walked her to the door.

              “Just so you know,” her older sister said, “he still works at Dale’s shop and still lives in the same place.”

              “Maggie,” admonished Beth, who had thought they were over the subject.

              “I’m just saying,” the brunette said, raising her hands in mock surrender, “do what you want with that information.”

On the way home, Beth drove past the place where she had first picked Daryl up on the side of the road. She remembered how cold and wet he had looked, walking in the grass, clutching his thin jacket to himself. The blonde couldn’t help but pull over even if she thought he would refuse her aid, but he hadn’t. She remembers being surprised by how blue his eyes were after he toweled off. She had been so nervous it had been a bit hard to focus on driving. Although Daryl had been average height and a bit too skinny for reasons she didn’t want to think about, he had seemed to dominate the small space in her truck. Not in a frightening way, even though she had heard the stories from other students. She was never scared of him, but no one else ever had the presence he did, one that was trying its hardest to go unnoticed but was impossible to miss at the same time.

The blonde clutched her steering wheel, annoyed at letting her mind drift down memory lane. Just because she was back in town didn’t mean she could let herself be as hopeful as she was years ago. She had to come to terms with the fact that Daryl didn’t want her in his life anymore. She was probably just a painful reminder of his last interaction with his father.

The blonde made it home just in time to help shut the chickens up in the pen and fed the horses. Then, she ate dinner with Hershel and Shawn. Shawn had been working for their father around the farm, it took a lot to keep up with the place and both Hershel and Otis were getting older. After dinner, Beth showered and got into her pajamas. She curled up in bed to read a book, but couldn’t seem to focus.

_“If ya want,” Daryl asked, looking down at his boots in a way that told Beth he was nervous._

_“Course I would like to go,” Beth agreed, smiling at him._

_He looked up at her with this surprised expression, as if he didn’t expect his invitation to be accepted. Of course, she knew nothing about using a crossbow, but if it involved time with Daryl she was excited to try._

_“This Saturday then,” he asked._

_“Perfect,” she told him, grinning from ear to ear._

_Come Saturday morning, Daryl pulled up in front of her house and Beth bounded downstairs in her favorite yellow polo and cowboy boots._

_“ByeDad,I’mgoinghuntingwithDaryl,” she said so fast and was out the door before her father could get a word in._

_On the drive over, the blonde couldn’t help but shoot glances over at her companion. He had begun filling out a bit, most likely due to actually eating consistent meals for the first time in his life. She had always thought he was attractive, with his deep blue eyes, tanned skin, and messy hair, but lately even other girls were starting to notice. Not that he was around other girls much or even talked to them, but Beth saw the way some of their heads turned on the rare occasion she was out with him in public. Daryl of course was oblivious. Finally, he pulled over on the side of the road, making his own parking spot in the grass._

_“Here,” he grunted, getting out and grabbing his crossbow from behind the seat._

_Beth followed suit as he took off into the woods. He didn’t say much, focused on where he was going. The young woman noticed that Daryl made almost no noise, he moved through the forest like he was part of it. As hard as she tried, her footsteps sounded loud in comparison._

_“Stop,” he decided._

_Beth didn’t know how this was different from any other place in the woods but she took his word for it._

_“First,” instructed Daryl, “you pull the string back to notch the bolt.”_

_The blonde’s eyes traveled to his arms as they flexed to load his crossbow. Daryl was muscular in the way none of the other guys her age were, not even the boys on the football team. His hands were often spotted in black from work, his clothes had a layer of dirt on them, but somehow it worked to his advantage._

_“Once it is loaded,” the gruff young man instructed, “ya just look down the sight like you would a gun, pull the trigger when you are ready.”_

_He looked down the bow, eyeing something Beth couldn’t see. Beth didn’t need to know much about archery to know Daryl was good, his crossbow was like an extension of himself. When he was in the forest, his usual withdrawn, non-talkative demeanor disappeared and he suddenly became more confident and sure of himself. The crossbow twanged as the bolt flew from the crossbow and into the woods. Her friend returned with a squirrel in his hands. Beth didn’t do a lot of hunting, but she knew squirrels were hard to hit because they were small and moved so fast._

_“You have been hiding this from me,” Beth gasped in delight, “didn’t know you were an expert with a crossbow.”_

_Immediately, Daryl blushed and looked down. The blonde grinned, she liked knowing she had an effect on her usually stoic companion._

_“Here,” he offered, holding his crossbow out to her._

_Beth went to take it and almost dropped it, surprised by its weight. When Daryl held it, it looked weightless, in her hands it most certainly was not._

_“Careful,” he barked, obvious fond of his weapon._

_“Didn’t know it weighed fifty pounds,” Beth retorted as she tried her hardest to get a bolt in the crossbow._

_After a bit, she gave up, looking over at Daryl for instruction. He stood a bit off to the side, leaning on one foot more than the other, his fingers on the beginnings of a beard around his chin. His eyes analyzing and watching her in a much more direct way than they normally did. It made Beth a bit self-conscious, but she didn’t mind either._

_“Try putting it on the ground and pulling up,” the archer suggested, “might be easier for you.”_

_Beth put the crossbow on the ground and pulled with all of her weight. She just managed to get the bolt notched._

_“Kay,” began Daryl, “now raise it up, right hand on the handle near the trigger, left further down to support and stabilize the crossbow.”_

_“Like this,” she asked, picking the weapon up._

_“Nah,” he directed, “bit more down.”_

_She scooted her hand a bit further down the crossbow, but it felt awkward and in the way._

_“Here,” said Daryl, coming closer and putting his hand over her own, adjusting it to the proper position, letting go the moment he was done._

_Beth tried not to let her thoughts wander too much at the feel of his warm, callused hand over hers. She needed to focus if she was going to get this right._

_“Now, look down the sight,” tutored the archer, pointing off in the same direction she had shot._

_“I am,” stated Beth, “I don’t see anything to shoot at.”_

_“Well, go find something,” he said offhand, making a shooing motion at her, like he was asking a simple task._

_Beth lowered the crossbow and fixed him with a stare._

_“How in the world am I supposed to just ‘find somethin’,” she asked, mimicking his voice on the last part._

_Daryl’s lips curled up in what would have been a grin if he ever allowed himself to smile._

_“Well, start walkin girl,” he told her, a slight playful tone in his voice that she hadn’t heard before._

_The blonde rolled her eyes but raised the weapon back up and began walking. The hunter fell in step a few feet behind her and began talking._

_“Ya gotta look for signs that something is around,” he told her, his voice seeming so close that it gave her chills down her back, “use all your senses. Gotta look, see if any branches are broken, dirt disturbed. Listen for the sound of bird calls or the snort of a deer. Use your sense of smell, if there is fresh pile of shit, something has been here recently.”_

_Beth nodded, it all made sense but it was easier said than done. Daryl continued talking but seemed to follow her even closer, his words becoming quieter, making the moment intimate._

_“Can’t just look all over the forest either,” he trained her, “some places are better than others for leaving tracks. Along creek beds where it is muddy are obvious places. Some less obvious ones would be around a fence or a fallen tree. Deer have to jump over them, so they put more weight into the feet, leaving a more obvious print. Short distances between two covered areas, like between two areas of shelter, could have prints.”_

_“Like between two trees for a squirrel,” Beth asked._

_“Yeah,” he agreed, sounded impressed that she was catching on._

_“And you also need to be aware of which way the wind is blowing,” he told her, “animals can smell you from a mile away, so don’t ever hunt with the wind blowing from you towards them, always have the wind blowing your scent away from them.”_

_“Lot more complicated than I thought it would be,” Beth admitted, her arms beginning to get tired but she didn’t want the lesson to end._

_“Now, tell me what you see,” he ordered, still allowing Beth to choose their path._

_The young woman looked down, trying to make sense of what she saw._

_“I don’t know,” she finally groaned, exasperated, “it all looks like forest floor.”_

_“See these leaves,” Daryl pointed, “see how some of them have been shoved to the side, somethin came this way.”_

_Beth could see what he meant, but never would have noticed if Daryl hadn’t showed them to her. They continued on until she finally spotted a print in the dirt. She was so excited to finally see something worth mentioning._

_“Well, what is it,” he asked, obviously quizzing her._

_“I don’t know,” Beth replied, squinting at the track, “something small, definitely not a deer. But bigger than a squirrel.”_

_“Bit of a size gap there,” Daryl commented, smirking at her._

_“Hey,” the blonde said, bumping her companion with her elbow, “I’m barely learning.”_

_“You will get the hang of it,” he said, suddenly serious, staring at her._

_“Well, what is it then,” she asked, trying to get rid of the sudden tension._

_“Find out,” Daryl suggested, nodding his head in what she could only assume was the right direction._

_Beth had let the crossbow slowly drop downwards during their conversation, with a huff she hoisted the weapon back up. It was hard to keep it up near eye level the whole time._

_“Gettin close,” whispered Daryl, his breath touching her neck, his proximity causing every hair on Beth’s back to stand up, “watch your steps.”_

_It was hard to focus with him so close. The closed off hunter usually kept his distance, but now he was almost on top of her with how close he was following. When they came around the tree, there was a rabbit several meters away. Daryl came up behind her and touched her elbow, indicating that he wanted her to take aim. The blonde brought the crossbow nearer, looked down the sight. Finally, she pulled the trigger. Unfortunately, the arrow went a bit wide and the rabbit went running off into the woods._

_“Damn it,” she cussed, finally letting the weight of the crossbow drop._

_“Don’t let your father hear you cussing like that,” Daryl intoned, as he backed off “he will know I’m rubbin off on you.”_

_“That isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” Beth replied, feeling more confident in flirting with him again now that she wasn’t frazzled by his close proximity._

_“Pretty lips like yours, ain’t meant to cuss like that,” he disagreed in an off-hand, matter-of-a-fact sort of way._

_“Ya think my lips are pretty,” Beth drawled, loving the way his neck reddened._

_Immediately, Daryl looked away, obviously embarrassed to have let more of his thoughts out than he meant to._

_“Go find the bolt,” he mumbled, obviously wishing her to go away and stop teasing him._

_“Yes Mr. Dixon,” Beth said, still feeling playful, her words immediately causing Daryl to freeze and his neck to turn even redder._

_Finally, taking pity on him, Beth went off to look for the arrow. It took her a while, but she finally found it buried in the dirt behind a bush. When she returned, it seemed that Daryl had returned to his normal calm state._

_Since Beth was exhausted from holding the crossbow up, she let Daryl have it back. He let her follow him as he stalked various prey, explaining to her what he was looking at and what the clues meant. He was actually a very good teacher, never bothered by her asking questions or not immediately understanding what was in front of them._

_Finally, after several hours, he called it quits and led them back to his truck. It was a good thing he knew the way because Beth would have been lost without him._

_“That was pretty fun,” she giggled from the passenger seat._

_“Yeah,” he grunted, his head giving a very slight nod as he drove._

_“Maybe,” Beth asked, suddenly feeling hesitant, “maybe we could do it again sometime.”_

_“If ya want,” he said in his normal, unassuming way._

_When he dropped her off, Beth wondered what would happen if she just planted a kiss on him. However, she knew if her flirting had affected him so much, she probably shouldn’t push it. Instead, she settled for just telling him goodbye._

_“Thank you Daryl, I enjoyed going with you a lot,” she told him, trying to smile in a way that would convey all her feelings._

_He stared with a look of amazement on his face as she shut the door to his truck and skipped all the way to her house._


	5. Same Old Feelings For Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am so excited to finally write Daryl and Beth together in the present time. I hope y'all enjoy and have a Happy Easter!

**Beth’s POV**

She had to see him. That was the first thought Beth had when she woke up Friday morning. If Daryl truly still didn’t want to see her after all this time, then she would finally just have to accept it and move on. However, if there were any chance that he did, that he had changed his mind, Beth needed to know.

She threw her white tank top that had her favorite country band on it, followed by jeans and her old boots. However, the sun hadn’t even risen yet, it was still way too early to just show up on someone’s doorstep, so Beth decided to curl her hair. Doing her hair gave her hands and mind something to do other then be anxious. Finally, just as the sun was peaking over the horizon, she slipped down the stairs, thankful that no one else was awake yet.

She hopped in her truck and drove the familiar road to Daryl’s cabin. When she finally reached it, the blonde felt like she was in a dream. His truck was parked there, looking just like she remembered. The place was the same except the porch now had a table and a couple of chairs. She got out, her shoes crunching on the gravel. She walked up to the steps of the porch and stopped. Beth hadn’t really thought out what she would say when she got here. Maybe Daryl had moved on, was dating someone, the thought sent a pain into her chest. Maybe this was a bad idea. Just as she was getting ready to chicken out, the door opened and there stood the very person she had been thinking of.

If Beth thought his arms had been something to dream about five years ago, that was nothing compared to how they were now. Daryl seemed taller and more muscular. His beard had grown in and his hair was even longer and shaggier than before. He hadn’t noticed her yet, the man was busy balancing his food and keys and putting on his boats as he was coming out the door. However, when he finally looked up, those deep blue eyes met hers from underneath tangles of hair. The moment he saw her, he froze. The young woman was equally petrified, she had dreamed of this moment for so long and now that it was here she didn’t know what to do or say.

“Beth,” he breathed, his gravelly voice making her name sound like a question.

“Daryl,” she spoke softly, as if trying not to frighten a skittish animal.

“Beth, ya shouldn’t be here,” he said, looking down at the ground, letting the screen door close behind him.

“Oh,” was all she managed to say.

This was a huge mistake, Beth felt tears well up in her eyes. She looked away, not wanting Daryl to see. She was such an idiot.

“Of course,” she managed to choke out, “I won’t bother you again then.”

She spun on her feet and almost ran back to the truck. She jumped into her vehicle and immediately had it in reverse, driving off as fast as she could. Nothing had changed, she had to accept it and move on.

**Daryl’s POV**

Daryl stood watching her truck disappear down the road. He felt like shit, but didn’t know what he could’ve done differently. That day when his father hurt Beth, he had realized that by being associated with him, he could only ever bring pain to that wonderful girl that had done everything for him. Due to knowing him, her boyfriend broke up with her, people in school and around town talked, and now she was injured. She deserved better than that, she deserved more than what he could give her. As much as he wanted to always bask in the light she gave off, he didn’t want to be the reason it was put out. Seeing her now though, it just brought back all those old feelings that made it so much harder to stay away.

Daryl got in his truck, slamming the door, before driving to work. At the shop, everyone stayed further away than normal, sensing his dark mood. He put all of his thoughts and energy into his work and fixed truck after truck.

“Daryl,” came Dale’s voice from above him as he worked under a vehicle.

“What,” he snapped, wishing to just be left alone.

“Is everything okay,” the business owner inquired, seriously concerned about his employee.

“Course,” he spat out, “fixing trucks ain’t I?”

“I mean, outside of work,” Dale pushed gently.

Everyone in the shop had gone silent, listening in on the conversation.

“Fuckin dandy,” he managed to choke out, before continuing to work.

Dale seemed to give up on getting anything out of him and went back to the front of the shop. A little while later, T-dog, one of the newer employees that hadn’t learned the rough man’s hatred of social interaction came up.

“You coming to Dale’s birthday party at Ruby’s bar tonight,” the man asked Daryl.

“A birthday party,” questioned Daryl, who had never actually had one of his own.

“Yeah,” T-dog informed him, “his wife is setting up the whole thing, all the guys are going to be there and we got a cake and are gonna buy him drinks and everything.”

“Fine,” Daryl reluctantly agreed, feeling like he should do something nice for Dale after snapping at the elderly man this morning.

Dale was the only person other than the Greene family that had really given him a chance. He had worked for the older man for years, he supposed he could just show up at the bar and then immediately leave. How bad could it be?

**Beth’s POV**

The blonde was still sobbing into her pillow when Maggie rapped on the door.

“Go away,” Beth pleaded, which never worked with her older sister.

The brunette opened the door and came right on in.

“Hear from Hershel and Shawn that you have been bawling your eyes out all day,” she said, getting straight to the point, “who do I need to beat up?”

“No one Maggie,” Beth hiccupped, “I’m just so stupid.”

“You aren’t stupid Bethy,” her sister comforted, “what could ever give you an idea like that?”

“I went to see him,” she managed to get out between little sobs, “he didn’t want to see me Maggie! I just thought that maybe after all these years he changed his mind, that we could talk, but I was an idiot.”

“Hey,” the brunette said, wrapping her sister in a hug, “it’s my fault too, I encouraged you to go see Daryl. Anyone in their right mind would be happy to see you.”

When her words didn’t do much good, Maggie changed her tactic.

“How about you come with me and Andrea out to Ruby’s bar tonight,” Maggie asked, “we finished this long case on how to redo the roads and want to celebrate. Amy will even be there, it will be fun.”

“I don’t know Maggie,” Beth began, not really feeling up to going out in public.

“You can only sit in here and cry for so long,” her sister admonished, “I’m not taking no for an answer. Get dressed, we leave in an hour.”

Her older sister walked out of the room, leaving Beth unable to object. However, Maggie was right, maybe by going out it would help her get her mind off of things. The blonde rolled out of bed and went to the mirror, her face was all puffy from crying, so she put a cold damp washcloth over her eyes to help them look more normal. Then, she did her makeup, taking extra care to hide the scar because she didn’t want anyone asking about it tonight. She didn’t want to think about the man it was connected with while she was out with friends and trying to stay composed.

Finally, Maggie hollered up the stairs that it was time to go. Beth went down the steps and was immediately swept away by her older sister. When they pulled up at the bar, the blonde felt like backing out, but she knew her sibling was determined. She got out and followed the brunette inside to a table that held Andrea and Amy.

“Beth,” Amy exclaimed, “I didn’t know you were coming. I’m so happy you are here.”

“I didn’t know until an hour ago either,” Beth said, a small smile on her lips at the warm welcome.

The girls all got to chatting. Apparently, Andrea had been seeing the governor of a nearby town. It was all the gossip. After the girls got tired of that subject, it turned to the man Amy was interested in. Finally, Andrea said she was going to buy the first round of drinks and went to get in line. It was very packed, even for a Friday night. Amy excused herself to use the restroom.

“See, isn’t this better than staying at home,” Maggie asked.

“Yeah, you were right,” Beth conceded, appreciating her sister.

Right then, the brunette’s phone rang.

“It’s Glenn, I’d better take it,” Maggie said, “he was going to fix the pipe under out kitchen sink….I’m not saying I don’t trust him, but just in case the house is flooding.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Beth said, not at all minding giving Maggie up for a few minutes.

“Hey, Glenn,” Maggie said, holding the phone to her ear just as some group started singing Happy Birthday, “I can’t quite hear you, it is a bit loud in here. Hold on, I’m going to step outside.”

“I’ll be right back,” Maggie promised Beth, heading for the door.

Beth looked over at Andrea, it looked like it would still be a while before she could order. Michonne, the owner of the bar, ran a tight ship but on nights like this it was hard for the woman and her two employees to keep up. Amy had gotten caught in conversation with someone on her way back to the table.

“Hey, Beth right,” came a voice.

The blonde turned around to see a lanky man with brown hair had come to stand by her. He wore a brand-name polo shirt and had a confident smirk on his face.

“Yes, that is me,” she replied, “do we know each other?”

“Ah, no, I just assumed,” the stranger said, “I promise I’m not a stalker or anything. I’m Deanna’s son, Spencer. I have heard Maggie talk about you and just guessed that you must be Beth when I saw you with her.”

“Oh,” winced Beth, remembering Maggie’s clear hatred for Deanna’s son.

The brunette had let off steam to Beth multiple times about how Spencer was a spoiled, conceited, brat who thought he could do anything he wanted just because his mom had a position of power in the town.

“If she had mentioned how pretty you were, I would have tried to meet you earlier,” Spencer flirted, flashing her a winning smile.

“Um,” began Beth, not quite sure how to turn down Maggie’s boss’ son.

“Is anyone sitting here,” he asked, pointing at the chair next to her.

**Daryl’s POV**

He had come to the damn party. It was just as bad as he envisioned, although it was at a bar so it certainly could have been worse. He felt out of place and was getting ready to leave when he spotted a blonde head sitting over at a table with several other girls. He felt the breath get knocked out of his lungs. For so long, he hadn’t seen her, now twice in one day. Maggie was sitting next to her, as well as two other girls he didn’t know. They all seemed to be happily chattering away until the two strangers got up. He watched as Maggie and Beth talked, before Maggie picked up her phone.

“Come on,” led T-dog, “Happy Birthday to you!”

The whole table began a very off-key version of Happy Birthday that left Daryl wincing and Maggie heading out the door. He watched as Beth sat there alone. The rough man was torn between wanting to go sit by her and his decision to stay as far away from the girl as possible for her own good. As he was struggling with the decision, sipping on his beer, a man walked up to Beth. Daryl didn’t know who he was or what he was saying, but it was obvious from the boy’s smile that he was flirting. His hand gripped his glass beer bottle more tightly as he watched. Without giving his body permission, he was suddenly standing up.

“Where you going, we are about to cut the cake,” asked T-dog.

“Be right back,” he answered shortly, taking off to towards Beth.

Just as he was coming up behind the blonde, he could make out the guy’s voice.

“Is anyone sitting here,” the man asked, grinning at Beth like she was prey.

“Yeah,” he grumbled in a menacing tone, “I am.”

The younger man’s eyes, which had been focused on Beth, whipped over to him. The blonde turned around in her seat, staring up at him with surprise.

“Daryl,” she asked.

“Ah,” the unknown man backpedaled, “didn’t know you had a boyfriend, sorry.”

He walked off as Daryl plopped down in the seat next to Beth, not entirely certain of what he was planning to do now that he had scared the guy off. They both sat there in an awkward silence, Daryl pulled out his pocketknife and began scraping at the wooden table, one of his nervous habits.

“Daryl,” finally came the sweet voice next to him, “if you are gonna sit next to me, you have to talk.”

“Talk,” he ground out hoarsely, as if such a thing was beyond him.

“Yeah,” she smiled, “it’s the rule.”

“I ain’t never heard of that rule,” he said.

“Yeah, that’s cuz I made it up,” she said with a smile, “but it is a rule now. My table my rules. You have to talk.”

“What you want to talk about,” he asked, more than ready to let her led the conversation.

“What are you doing at Ruby’s,” she asked, her blue eyes holding him like they did the first time he met her.

“Dale’s birthday party,” he grunted, “got roped into it.”

“Birthday parties aren’t bad things Daryl,” the blonde said with a roll of her eyes, like she was used to his anti-social antics, which she probably was.

He shrugged, not really sure what to say next. Luckily, Beth had always been the talkative one out of the pair of them.

“I’m here because Maggie dragged me out of the house and demanded I celebrate a milestone in her career,” the young woman offered up the information.

“Thought you liked going out,” he asked, remembering how bubbly and social she was in high school.

“Not today,” she said, staring at him, before looking down uncomfortably at her hands, “look, Daryl, I really am glad to see you and talk to you, but if you are just gonna push me away tomorrow, maybe it would be better if we don’t. I mean, I have liked you for a really long time and not like a friend, but you have made it pretty clear that you don’t feel the same way. It might be easier if we just….”

The blonde trailed off and Daryl felt his stomach sink. Never in all the years they had been apart had he considered that this wonderful woman might think he wasn’t interested in her, think that the reason he stayed away was because of her. He always managed to fuck things up.

“Ain’t like that Beth,” he managed to choke out, always feeling a bit lost with the right words to say.

“Then what’s it like Daryl,” she asked, looking up at him.

“Always liked ya Beth,” he admitted, a flush spreading down his neck, “but ya deserve better. Deserve more than all the crap I drug you through. Need someone who can make you happy.”

With those last words, he couldn’t help but reach out and touch the scar along her arm. It had healed up after all those years, but he still felt shame seeing the pale line. Touching her was a mistake, it made it that much harder to draw back. All he wanted to do was run his hands all over her soft, creamy skin. Daryl had never been a touchy feely kind of person, but with Beth it was always different, she was special.

“When are you going to start listening to me and get out of your own damn head,” she asked, taking his hand in hers, “Seriously Daryl, I have never meet anyone that blames themselves as much as you do! You are a good man and any girl would be lucky to have you.”

Right then, Maggie appeared at his side, giving him an inquisitive glare that made him squirm in his seat. Immediately, Daryl pulled his hand away from Beth. Luckily, the brunette didn’t comment on his presence, more occupied with a disaster at home.

“Beth,” she told her sister, “we gotta go, Glenn has managed to break one of the pipes. I already told Andrea.”

“I can give her a ride home,” Daryl found himself saying.

“Okay,” Maggie said uncertainly, looking at her sister for confirmation.

When Beth nodded, Maggie seemed to decide everything was okay.

**Beth’s POV**

After Maggie left, they didn’t go back to their conversation on their feelings for one another, Daryl wasn’t a real open person anyway, especially out in public. Instead, Beth talked about her time at school, her new job, and her family. The rough man didn’t say much, just grunted or inserted a word occasionally, but she could tell he was listening. The way he stared at her, she could have been telling him the secret to world peace, not just random mundane facts about her life. Beth noticed Andrea and Amy had found another table, Maggie must have told them something.

Finally, as time went on, she found her stomach growling.

“Haha, sorry,” she said embarrassed, “guess with Maggie dragging me out the door I forgot to grab anything to eat.”

“My house ain’t far,” Daryl offered, “can grab a bit to eat. Got a good porch we can sit on.”

The blonde felt her stomach flutter, it had been a long time since just her and Daryl had hung out together. Her whole body tingled at the thought of being alone with the archer, especially after he had told her that he had feelings for her.

“Okay,” she agreed, allowing him to lead her out to his truck.

It was the same as she remembered it. They drove in silence out to his place and Beth was soon sitting on his porch. Daryl brought out a jar of pig’s feet, some peanut butter, crackers, and a can of peaches. Almost as an afterthought, he went back in and grabbed a jar of moonshine that brought back memories of years ago.

“Sorry,” he said awkwardly, “ain’t got much. Haven’t gone shopping in a while.”

“It’s perfect,” she smiled, taking the peaches and fork.

“Perfect hunh,” he asked, shoving his hand in the jar of food and stuffing pig’s feet into his mouth, enjoying the way she squirmed at the sight.

The blonde couldn’t hold back her laughter, it had been so long since she had seen Daryl’s silly side. That was a side he had only ever shown to her. They sat together as the sun went down. She had never felt so at peace before. They passed the mason jar of moonshine back and forth as they caught up.

The blonde told Daryl about her college and all the classes she took. It was like she was trying to squeeze several years into a few hours. The hunter opened up a bit too. Apparently, Merle was back in the slammer for selling meth. The last time Daryl had seen him was several months ago. His dad had died of liver cancer he had said, snorting derisively before muttering something along the lines of ‘serves that bastard right’.

All of this was like a dream. Beth was able to see her long-time crush again, he admitted to caring for her, and now he was opening up to her. However, something was bothering her, a question that had gone unanswered for so many years.

“Why,” she finally asked, looking over at the man sitting next to her, “why did you go to your father’s house?”

Daryl suddenly became very interested in the pig’s feet he was eating. He shrugged his shoulders, rolling those huge muscles of his.

“Daryl,” Beth begged, “I know you, if you went back there then you had have a reason.”

“Wanted to get something,” he said in a low voice that she almost missed it.

“What,” she asked, her curiosity burning.

He sat there for so long in silence Beth was almost sure he wasn’t going to answer. Just as she was about to go back to her peaches, he finally spoke.

“Had a couple things of my mom’s,” he admitted, “not much, she didn’t have much and most of what she did have that son-of-a-bitch destroyed. But about a year before she died, she had given me two things. Her mother’s wedding ring and a picture of Merle, her, and me. I took the photo when I left the house. That is the only thing I took. Didn’t make any sense to take the ring. I didn’t believe in marriage or any of that crap, seemed worthless to me.”

“But you went back for it,” Beth pushed gently.

Daryl went back to his snack, making sure not to make eye contact with her. The way his muscles tensed and his jaw clenched told Beth that there was something important that he wasn’t saying.

“What changed your mind,” she asked.

Suddenly, her companion’s head raised and those piercing blue eyes were staring at her with an intensity she had almost forgotten. The way he was looking at her, she didn’t need any words to tell her that he still cared about her, maybe more than she had ever realized.

“Oh,” she whispered, everything finally clicking in her head.

Daryl seemed to realize that he had given much more away than he intended, because he stood up and motioned toward his truck.

“Gettin late, better take ya home,” he said in a throaty voice that sent shivers down Beth’s back, “stopped drinking moonshine a while ago, I’m good to drive.”

“Okay,” Beth agreed, needing some time to process everything she had just learned.

They drove in silence, until they reached her farm. Daryl dimmed his headlights, so he wouldn’t wake everyone up. He inched his truck slowly along the dirt road until he was in front of her house.

“Here ya go,” Daryl said huskily, his eyes lingering on her.

Beth needed time to process, but she also couldn’t leave the conversation where it was either. She didn’t make a move to get out.

“Thanks, for the food and the ride home,” she told him.

“Ain’t nothin,” he answered in his off-hand way.

He looked so good, only half his face lit by the moonlight. Beth found herself scooting over in the bench seat to be closer to him. Maybe it was the moonshine still in her system that was pushing her or maybe it was just seeing him again after so long, Beth didn’t know for sure.

“It is something,” she whispered, before leaning in and placing her lips on his.

They were more chapped than they had been the last time, the stubble from his beard lightly scratched her face, but the moment Beth’s lips touched his, she felt the same spark she had all those years ago. Daryl seemed frozen and she was about to pull back, concerned that maybe she had pushed too far, when suddenly, one of his big hands wrapped around her head, bringing her closer. His lips moved under hers, his tongue darting across her lips. Daryl’s other hand wrapped around her waist, those incredible biceps flexing against her side. He tasted like moonshine and smoke and dirt, everything that made him so irresistibly attractive. When they finally parted, Daryl’s pupils were blown wider than she had ever seen them. The way he was staring at her made her feel like prey, but in a way that she wouldn’t mind being caught.

“Goodnight Daryl,” she managed to whisper, before crawling back to her side and getting out of the truck. 


	6. Cause I'm What You Wanted

“Heeeeyyy, look who it is,” came T-dog’s voice as Daryl walked into work on Monday.

Daryl wanted to groan but for once he was such a good mood he couldn’t quite manage it.

“Saw you leaving with a pretty little blonde thing,” the guy asked, “didn’t know Daryl Dixon talked to women, much less had game like that!”

“Don’t talk to women,” he clarified, “just Beth.”

“Ah, so it’s serious, hunh,” his coworker inferred.

Daryl glared at him, but the friendly man seemed not to notice. Throughout the day, the rest of his coworkers decided that for some inexplicable reason, he was no longer as scary and anti-social as he used to be and kept wanting to talk to him. One of the younger ones in particular followed him around like a puppy, asking questions, not just about work but his personal life. By the end of the day, he was exhausted and wished they would all just leave him alone.

When he pulled up at his house, his day instantly became ten times better when he saw the little white truck in his driveway. Beth was sitting on his porch, looking like an angel in her white sundress. Her blonde hair glowing like gold in the sunlight. She smiled real big when she saw him and ran over and hugged him as soon as he got out. Her hair tickled his neck and she smelled like a fresh rain, it had his mind slipping back to when he had dropped her off at her house.

“I had a wonderful first day teaching,” Beth told him, talking at hyper speed, “the kids were all so sweet and there is this one little boy, Nicholas, who is my favorite. I mean, I know I’m not supposed to have favorites, but he is just so adorable!”

“Hold yer horses girl,” Daryl grumbled, trying to pretend like her chatter bothered him when it was actually music to his ears, “least let me get inside.”

The blonde released her hold on him and skipped up the steps. He loved watching the way she bounced as she took each step, nothing Beth did was ever anything less than extraordinary.

“This table is so unique,” she commented, her finger trailing along the wood “where did you get it?”

“Made it,” he answered, following her onto the porch.

“Really,” she exclaimed, before turning to look up at him with dazzling blue eyes, “it is beautiful Daryl.”

He snorted at Beth’s description of his make-shift table, words like that were better fit describing the person who said them than his handiwork. He opened the door and invited Beth in. She followed after him, taking in the inside of his house. That made him wish he had cleaned up more. It certainly wasn’t messy by any means, but around Beth he always felt like he wanted to do better. Suddenly, his dirty work shirt bothered him when usually he wouldn’t give it a second thought.

“Oh, Daryl,” Beth voice came from the living room, “is this your mother?”

The young woman was staring at the picture of Daryl, Laura, and Merle that was in a cheap frame on top of a bookshelf that held rifle ammunition and parts of broken bolts he had been planning to fix.

“Yeah,” he mumbled, watching her take in his home.

“You were such a cute baby,” she gushed, turning around to look at him, “still got the same gorgeous blue eyes.”

“Hunh,” he grunted confused, settling down on the couch, just enjoying having Beth around him.

After she finished looking around, she came and sat down beside him, so close that the other half of the couch was empty.

“It’s been so long since I’ve been in here,” Beth reminisced, who for some unknown reason seemed to miss the cabin he had been living in.

“Ain’t nothin special,” he refuted.

“It is,” Beth said suddenly very serious, staring straight at him.

It was like her little body had him trapped in the corner of the couch. She was so close to him, he could just see the scar running across her face. For some reason, he felt the urge to touch it. He reached up and trailed his index finger very lightly along the scar. What started as an innocent touch suddenly became more. His thumb moved up and stroked her cheek, enjoying how smooth her skin was. His fingers buried themselves in her golden hair and Beth’s breathe seemed to catch, her lovely eyes staring at him like he was actually important, someone worth loving. They both seemed to fall into each other.

Daryl couldn’t get enough of kissing Beth. She tasted so sweet and pure, he loved running his tongue along her lips, sometimes going deeper. Everywhere he touched was so soft and willing and her moans just egged him on. Her hands were pulling him closer and he leaned in, causing him to fall on top of her on the couch. He immediately pulled back, feeling like he was gonna crush her or that he had overstepped some invisible boundary.

Beth didn’t seem to appreciate this change in position, staring up at him with a pout. Her hair was a mess, her shirt halfway up her stomach, and she had never looked better in his eyes. He could feel himself growing hard and adjusted to try and hide it. As she sat up, Daryl looked at her, wondering how he had gotten so lucky. Hesitantly, he tucked a loose strand behind her right ear. After he did so, she grabbed his hand and brought it to her knee, carefully tracing each line with her fingertips. It was hard to believe that such a silly thing could feel so good.

“Well Mr. Dixon,” she said, her voice breathy and not helping at all with his problem down south, “I have to head back home, I’m supposed to be cooking dinner, but I think we should try and meet up and talk about our day again tomorrow, maybe when we have a little more time.”

She had a sparkle in her eyes that told Daryl there wasn’t likely to be very much talking. He had always loved that fire in Beth, it was in such contrast to her normal perfect, good-girl attitude.

He managed to nod as she kissed him one last time, her lips lingering on his, before she went out the door. For a good while after he heard her truck pull out he just sat there on the couch.

“Damn,” he finally cussed, “that girl is gonna be the death of me.”

**Beth’s POV**

The blonde drove along, headed towards Daryl’s house. The past month had been going pretty great. Beth’s new teacher’s assistant job was going well, she got to spend lots of time with her family, and most importantly she saw Daryl several times a week. It had become habit for her to stop by occasionally after work or drop in on the weekends. It meant the world to her to finally be able to talk and see Daryl again.

The only thing that she could complain of was that their relationship, if it could even be called that, wasn’t progressing. They kissed and touched and flirted, but the moment Beth went to take her tank top off or slip her hand under Daryl’s shirt, his eyes went wide and the man all but scampered away. The young woman didn’t take it personally, Daryl wasn’t like other people who instinctively smiled or reached out to hold someone’s hand for reassurance. Touch had always meant something different for him, something much more painful. In beginning, she had just thought he needed time, now it was apparent that unless she did something, they would never go any farther. Not that she minded, the kissing and hugs and his occasional smile were all wonderful. However, Beth had the feeling that something was bothering Daryl and if she didn’t push for answers, he would keep his thoughts tightly locked up.

That is why she had gotten her courage up to try and talk to the silent man this weekend. Talking wasn’t exactly his forte and based on past experience he would probably lash out if he felt his privacy was being invaded, but she wanted to be there for him if he needed to get something off his chest. Without being pushed into sharing, the archer tended to bury everything deep down and suffer without ever asking for comfort. When Beth got to the house, Daryl’s truck was parked haphazardly in the lawn. His crossbow was strewn carelessly on the porch.

“That’s odd,” Beth thought.

Once she got out, she walked over to the blue truck, only to see that the passenger’s seat had blood on it and the handle had red prints. Any thought of her reason for coming flew from Beth’s mind, she ran toward the house yelling the archer’s name.

“Daryl,” she cried, opening the screen door and searching frantically.

She detected movement in his bedroom and immediately headed over. She found the gruff man sitting on the ground, his red checkered, sleeveless shirt unbuttoned, propped up with his back against his bed, holding a bottle of alcohol in one hand and his wounded side in the other. His clothes were covered in dirt and his stomach glistened with blood and sweat. If this wasn’t an emergency, Beth would have appreciated the view she had of him.

“Beth,” he asked, sounding uncertain.

The blonde had never seen Daryl look so pale.

“What happened,” she gasped, “Daryl, we have to get you to the hospital.”

As she was walking towards him, his head snapped up and his blue eyes widened. Quickly, the hunter began scooting away, hissing through clenched teeth.

“No, stay the fuck away,” he growled like a cornered animal.

“Daryl,” Beth groaned, stopping in her tracks, “what are you doing? This is serious, you need to see a doctor.”

“Ain’t that bad,” he argued, glaring at her with narrowed eyes as if she stood any chance of dragging the ornery man anywhere against his will.

“Then at least let me see,” the young woman tried, heading to the bathroom, looking for anything to put on his wound.

“I can take care of it myself,” insisted Daryl, “don’t bother.”

The blonde wanted to roll her eyes, he hadn’t gotten any less stubborn after all those years apart.

“What is your problem,” she demanded, walking out of the bathroom with several towels, her anger growing that he would risk his health, “I’m just trying to help! You need help! You are bleeding so much you are probably going to pass out!”

“Don’t want ya to see,” he said quietly, such a contrast to his earlier biting comments.

The archer’s head hung down in what Beth knew was shame. His defensive body language disappeared and now he just looked scared and vulnerable.

“Daryl,” Beth argued, not yet fully understanding, “I have seen plenty of wounds before, daddy was a vet, I used to follow him all the time on his visits in the summer. I ain’t gonna pass out or anything. Don’t need to be ashamed of getting injured while hunting, it happens to a lot of people.”

She came closer but he scooted back again, grimacing in pain.

“Not that,” he whispered, looking down in a way that told Beth it was more than just his injury.

“Whatever it is Daryl,” Beth said, crouching down on the ground like she would with a stray dog, trying to convince it she wasn’t a threat, “It won’t change anything.”

He raised his head, his blue eyes showing the mental turmoil of emotions. Finally, he just nodded in defeat. The blonde rushed over to his side, pressing the white cloth against the red gash in his stomach. It started in front and went towards his back.

“I’m gonna have to take your shirt off to see what your wound is like on the back,” Beth told him in the gentlest voice possible.

She moved as slowly and with as much care as possible. Daryl already had his shirt unbuttoned, she just helped him get his arms out. She tried her hardest not to notice how muscular he was, how flat and hard his stomach was. Now was not the time. The blonde took the bottle of alcohol from his hand and poured it onto the long cut on his front. The gruff man’s hands formed fists and all the muscles on his arm became more pronounced, but he didn’t utter a single sound.

“Now I need to look at the other side,” Beth told him, “can you turn around?”

For a second she thought he didn’t hear her because he didn’t budge, but finally he pushed himself off the bed and turned around.

“Oh,” was all Beth could say as everything clicked into place.

The young woman knew Daryl had had a bad childhood, knew his father was prone to violence, had even suspected he might have a scar or two, but nothing like this. The scar tissue covered a good portion of his back, there were so many slashes it was hard to believe anyone could have survived such a traumatic event. This wasn’t done by fists or a boot, but by something much harder, like the buckle of a belt.

Carefully, as if Daryl was made of glass, Beth reached out with a cloth. The moment she touched him, he flinched, but he didn’t leave. Beth continued and cleaned the rest of his wound. Neither of them said anything, she just worked diligently. Luckily, the blonde had picked up a lot from her time with her father and knew the basics of cleaning and bandaging a wound. After the wound was disinfected, the young woman found more clean clothes and some athletic tape. She carefully pressed the fabric into the wound as she ran the tape around his side. When he was finally patched up, Beth allowed herself to sit back and take in just what she was seeing. Without thinking, she reached out and ran her finger along one of his scars, just above his shoulder. The blonde thought she could detect a shiver running down his spine. Carefully, she leaned in and kissed the hard tissue, before wrapping her hands around Daryl and holding him close, pressing herself into his back as if she could make it all disappear.

“You aren’t the only one with scars,” Beth told him after a moment, “you don’t have to be ashamed.”

“Beth don’t,” he began, but she wasn’t about to stop.

“Before I ever met you, my mamma died. I loved her so much, when she was gone, I thought my whole world had ended, nothing would ever be right again,” she began, “I tried to act normal and go to school but I couldn’t feel anything. Finally, one day I decided that I wanted it to all stop.”

At her last words, Beth let go and repositioned herself in front of Daryl. Slowly, she began taking off all the bracelets she wore on her left wrist.

“So, I when I came home from school that day,” the blonde continued, trying not to let her voice tremble, “I picked up a knife from the kitchen and went into my bathroom. I locked the door and I just sat there. I couldn’t think of any good reason to live. I cut my wrist.”

Beth had never told the story before, the only people that knew were her father, Shawn, and Maggie. She took off the last bracelet, revealing the long faded scar that ran across her wrist.

“The moment I did it, I realized how wrong I was,” Beth said to Daryl, who was listening without a word to her, “I realized I did have people that made life worth living. I realized that I needed to be stronger than the pain I felt. I cried out for Maggie, who just came home from school. She immediately helped me and called my daddy, who had to stich me up since there wouldn’t have been time to go to the hospital.”

“I’ve changed since then,” spoke Beth with as much passion as she could, “I’m not that same girl. Having scars isn’t something to be ashamed of Daryl, it means you were stronger than whatever tried to kill you. ”

The rough man was staring at Beth with a look she had never seen before. Slowly, he reached out and took her wrist in his trembling hands, running his finger over the line.

“I never knew,” he managed to get out.

“Everyone’s got scars Daryl,” Beth whispered, “everyone has things in their past that they wish had never happened. Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean they aren’t there. As bad as some of those things might be, they don’t have to define us.”

“The night my mother died,” Daryl spoke in a gravelly voice, “my father blamed me. I had gone out to play with some of the neighbors that were around my age. Merle was in juvie at the time. While I was out with them, I heard this fire truck drive by. We all decided to follow it. Went to my house. Laura had been drinking and smoking and fell unconscious with a cigarette in her hands. The place was a piece of trash, didn’t take long for it to go up in smoke. My old man blamed me, cause I wasn’t there….then, he pulled his belt out and….and maybe it was my fault, maybe I could have done somethin…..”

He trailed off, his shoulders heaving.

“No,” Beth told him, before wrapping him in a hug, “it ain’t your fault Daryl. You couldn’t have known.”

That was the first time she ever saw Daryl Dixon cry.

**Daryl’s POV**

The archer groaned as he opened his eyes. He was laying on the floor of his trailer in the bedroom, his head was propped up with a pillow. A blanket lay over him that must have been pulled off his bed. The smell of bacon hung in the air.

His side was aching, but it felt better than it had yesterday. He was still mad at himself for letting that fucking buck scratch him like that. He should have known better. The hunter usually checked to make sure his prey was completely down before he approached it, but yesterday his mind had been elsewhere. As he had gone up to the beast and pulled out his bolt, the buck started moving and kicking, knocked his feet right out from under him. He had fallen down, right in the path of the buck’s thrashing horns. He didn’t know how he had managed to get away without worse damage, but somehow he pulled himself out of harm’s way and made it back to his truck. Fucking deer was probably dead by now, served it right.

He sat up, groaning with the effort. The sound caused footsteps from the kitchen towards his direction. A blonde head appeared in the doorway.

“You are up,” she chirped, hurrying over to his side to check his wounds.

“Everything looks good,” Beth told him as she redid his bandages.

Even after last night, Daryl felt so exposed without his shirt. It was like a security blanket he had clutched for so many years, even when he lived by himself, except to shower, he always wore a shirt. It didn’t matter that one time the a/c had gone out, he had still worn a shirt to bed. The blonde seemed to sense this and brought over another, cleaner shirt from his closet. He accepted it was a mumbled thanks and she helped him pull it on. Beth squatted down to help him with the buttons.

“I ain’t helpless,” Daryl tried to point out as she fussed over him.

“I know,” Beth told him, “but you need to rest and if I don’t make you, I know you won’t.”

The archer had nothing to say to that because they both knew that was true.

“I made breakfast,” she continued, “and you aren’t going to be doing anything until you are healed.”

“Wait,” the hunter said, putting out a hand, “breakfast, what time is it?”

“You slept all night,” Beth told him, “It’s Sunday morning.”

“You are still here,” he said, processing slowly.

“Well, I wasn’t gonna just leave you here,” said the petite woman, rolling her eyes as if it were obvious, “hope you don’t mind, I slept in your bed, ya know, it wasn’t like you were using it. I called and explained to daddy what happened, so they weren’t worried about me.”

Fear shot down Daryl’s spine. Sure, Beth was an adult and they hadn’t done anything, but the idea of Hershel knowing his precious baby girl spent the night at the trailer of a rough, redneck, well that is how you end up at the wrong end of a rifle. Sure, he had seemed to put up with Daryl hanging around his daughter fine when they were younger, but staying the night at his house was something entirely different.

“Come on,” the blonde said, oblivious to his terror, “I got scrambled eggs and bacon.”

Daryl used the bed to get up, favoring his good side. Immediately Beth was under his arm, making sure he could make it to the kitchen. He probably didn’t need to lean on her as much as he did, but if Hershel was gonna shoot him later he might as well enjoy the moment.

Soon, he was settled in a plastic fold out chair and the chipper blonde brought him a plate of eggs and bacon. He hadn’t had a properly home cooked meal in a long time and hadn’t eaten dinner last night, causing him to scarf down what was put in front of him. Near the end, he glanced up to see Beth watching him intently. Her own food left forgotten on her plate.

“Wha,” he asked, feeling suddenly self-conscious.

“Just thinking that even after all our times together, there are still things we are doing for the first time,” the blonde pondered, biting off a bit of bacon, “like we have never had breakfast together before, never talked about our past, never done a lot of things.”

“Never had anyone spend the night,” he supplied, “other than Merle, but I never wanted him to, he just kinda barged in and crashed on the couch.”

“Sounds like Merle,” Beth chuckled, “how has he been?”

“In jail,” Daryl said curtly, not wishing to talk any further.

“Ah,” the blonde replied, “Some things never change.”

They both sat there in silence, enjoying the morning. It was never an uneasy silence with Beth, although when she was in the mood she could talk non-stop, she also didn’t mind just sitting back and letting things be. Finally, Daryl got up and picked up his and Beth’s plate. He could tell the blonde was about to protest so he got a word in first.

“Do not move your ass,” he ordered, “already bandaged me up and cooked for me.”

The blonde looked like she wanted to object, but he gave her a look letting her know he was serious and she seemed to realize it was pointless to keep arguing. When he was done he was feeling a bit tired but he didn’t want Beth to leave just yet. He liked having her around all the time, knowing that she was just in the next room. However, Beth seemed to sense his weariness and took his hand and led him back to his bedroom. She was so damn perceptive. The blonde rearranged his pillow and blanket back on the bed.

“Well, I guess I will just be going then,” the blonde said, “but I’m serious Daryl, don’t over-exert yourself, you have to rest.”

He watched as she picked up her purse and put on her shoes, already feeling like she was a million miles away. Without meaning to, his hand found hers and pulled her back towards him as she was getting ready to walk out. He couldn’t find the words to ask her to stay, didn’t know how to say the right thing. Instead, he just stared at her, his mouth half open and his cheeks burning.

“I can stay, ya know, if you want,” Beth offered, staring up at him innocently with those big blue eyes of hers.

He could feel both sides waring with himself. She deserved so much better, he had been doing such a good job of letting her go. However, this past month, seeing her all the time, the way she looked at his past and didn’t care, it only made him more addicted. He found his head nodding slightly and the next thing he knew, the blonde had put down her things and crawled into the other side of the bed. She looked up at him and patted beside her, indicating that he should get in. Daryl lifted the covers and slide in.

This was a huge mistake, there was no way he could relax with Beth Greene laying right beside him. He felt like if he moved muscle, the whole illusion would shatter or that she would leave. Suddenly, the petite woman turned and snuggled into his side, wrapping an arm around his waist.

“This okay,” she asked as she nuzzled into his chest.

Daryl nodded again, feeling himself finally relax a little. The sound of Beth’s breathing lulling him to sleep.

**Beth’s POV**

The blonde opened her eyes, taking in Daryl’s bedroom. That was right, he had actually wanted her to stay. She remembers that look he gave her, right as she was getting ready to leave, the longing in his eyes. She hadn’t been able to do anything other than crawl right back in bed. At first, Daryl had been so tense, he was careful not to allow themselves to touch an inch, which was silly considering how many times they had kissed. It had been beyond awkward to just lay there and pretend each other didn’t exist so she had finally rolled over and curled into his side, just like she had always dreamed of.

“This okay,” she had asked, knowing how Daryl felt about his personal space.

The rugged man had just nodded, making Beth feel relaxed enough to nuzzle in deeper. She loved the feel of how warm and muscular he was, the way she felt so protected in his arms. When she had slept in his bed the night before, she had been able to smell a bit of the pine-tree and new soil scent, but lying next to him it was so much stronger.  She had quickly drifted off.

Now that she was awake, she found them in a different position. Somehow, now Daryl was spooning her, his arm around her waist, his head buried in her hair. She didn’t want to move for fear of waking him. Something hard nudged at the back of her thigh through Daryl’s jeans. The blonde blushed, not for herself, but for Daryl because despite his rough nature, he was actually pretty shy, particularly when it came to things like this. However, the thought of him being hard sent tingles down south, getting her wet. Right as she was trying to think of the best way to extract herself, she sensed Daryl wake up. It was just a slight change in his breathing pattern, the barest movement of her hair as his eyelids fluttered open. Beth paused, unsure of how Daryl would react to the situation. When he didn’t move or say anything, she finally spoke up.

“Daryl,” she asked, “you awake?”

Like he had been burned, Daryl immediately withdrew his arm and scooted away.

“I’m sorry Beth,” he gasped.

The blonde sat up and turned around to see him looking down, his long hair covering his face, which was red with shame.

“I didn’t mean ta…,” he trailed off, his head somehow dropping even lower.

“Ya don’t have to be ashamed Daryl,” Beth said gently, “I didn’t mind.”

When he didn’t look up or respond, she continued.

“I actually liked it,” she was the one red in the face now as she confessed, “I like you touching me, I like it a lot.”

“Do you like it when I touch you,” she asked, trying to read his face which was still full of self-loathing.

“That ain’t the issue,” he ground out between clenched teeth.

The blonde crawled over to him and tilted his head up with her fingers so she could look him straight in the eyes.

“It’s okay, Daryl,” she told him, “it really is.”

She dropped his head and picked up his hand, placing it carefully on her breast, which despite their make out sessions had never been even remotely touched.

“Do you like touching me,” she repeated.

The way Daryl worked his lower lip and was staring at her chest told her that he did. The blonde let go of his hand and leaned in kissing him. He was slow to respond, but in time he started moving, his hands finally slipping under her shirt and up to her chest. She groaned the first time she felt one of his callused fingers move across the top of her breast, just above her bra. For a second he froze, as if he was afraid he had hurt her, but when she pushed herself closer, he seemed to understand. Beth’s hand slid under Daryl’s shirt, careful to make sure she didn’t touch his injury. She had already touched him here, but didn’t really have time to appreciate his physique when she was patching him up.

Beth really thought she could feel every muscle with how taunt he was, and those arms, she couldn’t even begin to describe. In no time, she had his shirt off and they were both panting. His fingers carefully moved under the hem of her shirt, as if still uncertain despite how strong she had come on to him. When she smiled at him, he finally gripped the material and lifted it over her head. She would never forget the way he looked at her, as if she was some sort of goddess and not just Beth Greene in her not remotely sexy white t-shirt bra. Hesitantly, he then unclipped her bra, after some slight trouble figuring out how it unlatched. The blonde’s first instinct was to cover her breasts, but the need in Daryl’s eyes stopped her. Uncertainty, he raised a hand, touching her breast and causing her to moan at the slight pressure.

“So fuckin perfect,” he whispered, his voice deeper than usual.

Suddenly, they were kissing and his hands were roving all over her body. It felt so good to finally be touched by him. He moved, as if wanting to be on top of her, but she pushed him back down on the bed.

“No exerting yourself, remember, Mr. Dixon,” she reprimanded.

Then, tentatively, judging his reaction, she let her hands fall to his belt, undoing the buckle.

“Can I,” she asked, as she began to unbutton his jeans.

“Don’t have to,” came his voice, more husky than she had ever heard it.

“I want to,” she replied, her voice sounding different to her own ears.

The blonde unzipped his jeans, then pulled them down, revealing his light gray boxers, which had a huge tent in the middle. A bit unsure of herself, Beth reached out and ran her fingers along his cock, feeling it through the material.

“Ah,” groaned Daryl, staring at her with his pupils blown wide.

The blonde pulled on the elastic, slipping his boxers down and causing his cock to spring up. The fact that she was doing this to him made her throb between her thighs. Delicately, she ran her fingers down the prominent vein from the head of his dick down to the base, before getting an actual grip and giving a pump. It felt so smooth, unlike the rest of Daryl. The blonde couldn’t help imagining what it would feel like inside her. She began to get a varied rhythm going, causing Daryl’s breath to come in moans. The young woman liked having the power to make the rough man gasp under her touch. Then, she lowered her head down, taking him in her mouth.

“Fuck, Beth,” gasped Daryl, his grip on the sheets tightening.

The blonde bobbed her head experimentally before getting a good pace going. Her tongue began exploring his member. She felt Daryl’s hand go into her hair as he made noises that were close to a growl. Suddenly, the hand in her hair pulled her up, just as he came. His cum squirted out onto his stomach, his cock throbbing with each pulse.

“God Beth,” the rough man choked out, his hand still in her hair.

The blonde looked around and found a discarded towel from the other night that hadn’t been used sitting at the end of the bed. She scooped it up and handed it to him. He cleaned himself up before pulling her in for a kiss.

“If I had known this is how ya rest from being injured, I would have gotten hurt around you more often,” he said with a grin, still trying to catch his breath, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time writing anything vaguely smutty, so I hope it turned out well. I will try to get the next chapter out soon but next week I will be working overtime so it may be a couple of weeks.


	7. And You Are What I Needed

**Daryl’s POV**

It had been a week since his injury. Daryl was finally able to take the bandages off for good. He was going to have a slight scar, nothing compared to his other ones though. During the entire healing process, Beth had been stopping by to bring food or check on him or change his bandages. Every time he saw the beautiful woman, a warmth heated up his face and neck, just remembering the sight of her going down on him, the way her pretty lips had looked as she had taken him in her mouth. Got him hard just thinking about it.

The rough man would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought of Beth that way before, but it was in vaguer images since he never actually expected it to happen. Even during the past month when they had been kissing and spending time on the couch, he always expected her to suddenly figure out that she deserved better than him or assumed that she would leave when she finally saw his scars. She hadn’t though, she had stayed and patched him up and for some mind-boggling reason, actually seemed to want to be with him. He was used to scaring people off, but nothing he did seemed to faze the bubbly blonde, she always came back to him.

That was what he was musing over, lounging on the couch, when the object of his thoughts came through the door.

“How do you feel Daryl,” she asked, holding some container that smelled like heaven.

“Good,” he grunted, his eyes taking in her short shorts and sheer tank-top.

It was like she was just trying to drive him crazy.

“I brought some food over, it is lasagna,” she explained, “I remember how much you seemed to like it that first time so I thought….”

The blonde trailed off and promptly turned around, finding a spot in the fridge to store the container. In doing so, she bent over, giving Daryl a great view of her ass. He tried not to groan at the sight, it was like she didn’t know the effect she had on him. He looked away before she turned and joined him on the couch. Despite how wonderful things had gone last weekend, since then it had been a bit awkward. They hadn’t kissed or barely even touched the whole week and Beth seemed unable to sit in silence, often jabbering on without looking at him. Daryl wanted to change that, but he was never good with words or understanding other people. He was worried that she regretting what they had done.

“The kids today were so good,” she told him, in the most upbeat voice, “we did finger-painting, it was a bit of a mess but they had a lot of fun. Soon, we are going to start doing multiplication and division. They are finally getting the hang of adding and subtracting.”

Daryl raised a finger to his chin, rubbing it across his lips as he watched Beth talk. Watching her lips move was agony, all he could see was her eyes blown and her cheeks red, God he wanted her so bad. He hated that voice in his head telling him that he had most likely fucked up somehow last weekend and the last thing the beautiful girl wanted was his lips on hers.

That’s why it surprised him when Beth’s conversation took an unexpected turn.

“About last weekend Daryl,” she told him, looking away, a move she had most likely learned from him, “I’m sorry if I moved too fast. I just, I thought that maybe you….I shouldn’t have, you were injured and tired and probably not interested and I….”

“No,” he growled immediately, not sure of how her mind had come up with such a crazy idea as him not being interested in her, Beth Greene, “that ain’t it at all.”

The beautiful woman looked up at him with those big doe eyes in shock. Daryl struggled to explain to her that last weekend had been perfect, that she hadn’t done anything wrong, but like usual the words didn’t come. He clenched his fists, annoyed at his own ineptitude that had somehow made Beth feel like he didn’t care about her.

“Then what is it then,” she asked, “ever since then, you don’t seem to come near me or touch me?”

“Cuz,” he grunted, trying his best to put his thoughts into words, “if I touch you I don’t think I could stop.”

“Oh,” came that little voice, which somehow packed so much meaning into one syllable.

Daryl moved over closer to her, experimentally putting his hand on her cheek, amazed by how soft it was. She stared up at him with those wide trusting eyes that just turned him to mush.

“Less, ya don’t want me ta stop,” he questioned hesitantly, looking at her from behind his long strands of hair.

It was an almost imperceptible nod, but his hunter eyes picked it up. He leaned in, putting his lips on Beth’s like he had been wanting to do, groaning at how good they tasted. His hands began roaming further, down to her stomach, pulling that teasing tank shirt over her head, leaving the blonde in her simple, pink bra. He had never seen a sight so beautiful, seeing her like that, it took his breath away. He reached out like she was an illusion, yet when he touched her side, he knew it was real. His tan, dirty, callused hand didn’t belong next to the smooth, pale, white skin of Beth’s stomach, but unless she told him to stop he didn’t think he could control himself.

He pulled away from Beth’s lips and at first she seemed disappointed until he dipped his head lower, laying kisses along her collarbone and up her neck, breathing in her sweet scent. Her moans gave him courage and he reached back to unclasp her bra. She quickly wriggled out of it, leaving the pink fabric to lie on the floor. Her hands reached up into his hair, tugging and mixing pain with pleasure. The archer let his fingers reach up over the subtle mounds on her chest, caressing them and feeling how soft they were. The only change was a slight hardness when his thumb went over her nipple, making her press more into him.

Despite how far gone his brain already was, he knew this wasn’t how he wanted their first time to be, on this hand-me-down couch. He easily scooped her up in his arms, enjoying the tinkling music of her laughter and carried her into his bedroom, where he dropped her on mattress. She landed with a bounce, her boobs bobbing with her, her hair coming out of its ponytail. Only her short shorts keeping her from being completely naked.

Daryl pulled off his shirt, discarding it on the floor before climbing in bed. Their lips met again and there was a hunger that had only gotten stronger. He couldn’t get enough of her, the feel of her under him, all soft and pliant, yet demanding at the same time. Her hands ran over his chest and along his arms, making him for the first time consider that she might actually like what she saw. Her hips rolled up into his, there was no missing how hard he was, the way his cock was straining against his jeans.

“Daryl,” breathed Beth and he had never enjoyed hearing his own name so much.

The hunter reached down and unbuttoned and unzipped those annoying short shorts before slipping a few fingers in and pulling them down her legs. Her finger’s fumbled at his belt, getting it off and indicating that she wanted him to do the same. He stood up, for just a second, allowing his pants to fall to the floor. Before he could go back down, Beth was up on her knees at the edge of the bed, wrapping her arms around him, kissing him back so hard he thought she might break. His hands headed downward to cup her ass through her underwear, liking the way it felt in his palms. When Beth tried to reach down, he grabbed his hand to stop her.

“Ain’t gonna last if ya do that,” he said, his voice deep and husky.

Then, he moved to cup her sex, rubbing her through the matching pink underwear. God, he could feel how warm she was through the fabric. Feeling like he was about to bite a forbidden apple, he hooked his fingers into her panties and pulled them down, soaking in the sight of her blonde curls. He pushed Beth back towards the bed and she responded by laying on her back, her hair spreading out like a halo. He got in beside her and began running his fingers over her clit, surprised by how wet she was, how much she must be turned on by him.

Her fingernails were leaving what he was sure would be little marks on his shoulder, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to make her feel good, like she had done for him. Experimentally, he inserted his middle finger, enjoying the way the woman gasped at the sudden intrusion. He had never felt anything so warm and silky in his life he thought as he began moving his finger in and out. Then, he bent his head over, taking a nipple in his mouth, licking it and teasing her.

“Oh God,” she blurted out, mirroring his own thoughts.

Her words egging him on, he went harder, until he felt her body clench up and her muscles contract around his finger. He watched the most beautiful woman he had ever known fall apart in his arms. Her breath was ragged and her eyelids fluttered. Once she started coming down from her climax, Daryl reached in his dresser and found a condom that Merle had left behind on the floor of the living room the last time he had visited. He opened the silver package and dropped his underwear on the floor. His dick immediately sprang up. As he rolled the rubber over his cock, the blonde sat up, staring at him with wide eyes.

“Ya still okay with this,” he asked, knowing soon there would be no turning back.

“I’ve wanted you for years Daryl Dixon,” she said in a throaty voice, making his name sound more like a curse.

They collided together, back on the bed. After a few moments of kissing, he propped himself up and aligned himself between her knees. With one hand, he positioned himself to enter her but looked up at Beth before going further. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer. That is when he knew that he was actually going to have sex with Beth Greene.

He entered slowly, his hands fisting in the sheets at how good she felt. He tried to go slow, never wanting to hurt her, but it was hard because she felt so good and warm and tight. Her little gasps didn’t help, they turned him on even more. Finally, he settled all the way in, their chests both pounded against each other. Carefully, he pulled out just the slightest before sinking back in. They both moaned, totally lost in each other. The next time, he pulled out farther and came back in with a bit more force, causing a friction that had Beth’s hips thrusting into his. Finally, he couldn’t go slow any more, he grabbed Beth’s hips, yanking her toward him as he plunged in, before setting up a fast rhythm. Soon, Beth’s pussy was fluttering around his dick and her hands digging into her hair. That wasn’t what sent him over the edge though, it was her voice.

“Fuck, Daryl,” she moaned, the cuss sounding so foreign on her lips.

He thrust in one last time before he finished, his cock pumping every bit of liquid out. They lay there for a while, their breathing the only sound, staring at each other. Finally, he slowly pulled out, feeling sad the moment they were no longer connected. He walked to the bathroom and discarded the used rubber before returning to the bed. Beth was laying sprawled out on his comforter and didn’t look like she had any intention of moving any time soon.

He slid in beside her, pulling her into his arms. She nuzzled his cheek, leaving a sweet kiss. It didn’t take long for them to fall asleep.

He woke up before she did. He looked over at Beth, the beautiful blonde was still naked, only covered by his arm. Her golden tresses spread out over his black comforter and shone with the morning light that was hitting them. It was like her skin had soaked up all the sun and was glowing. Daryl felt something tug at his heart at the very sight of this woman. He had known it for a while, but now he finally admitted to himself, he never wanted to be without Beth Greene.

**Beth’s POV**

The past few months with Daryl had been magical. Beth actually was able to have sex with Daryl Dixon several times a week, except something about the way he looked at her while they were being intimate told her it was more like making love than just having sex. Not that Daryl would ever say that, he wasn’t exactly the romantic type.

Beth had convinced the archer to come have dinner once a month at the Greene family farm. At first, he had argued but eventually she got him to agree. The first time he visited, he all but went pale when he saw her daddy and began mumbling incoherently. His fear was obvious, luckily her father had liked Daryl for a long time and didn’t have any problem with their relationship.

“Quit standing there and mumbling son,” Hershel had said, “foods all ready, we had best get to it, it is good to have you back.”

Those words had returned Daryl to his usual calm, withdrawn state. Last week, Daryl and Hershel had actually sat out on the porch and had a conversation while Beth and Shawn cleaned the kitchen. Maggie had gone off with Glenn on a trail ride, leaving her siblings to do the dishes. Beth kept glancing out the window nervously, she knew Daryl had always been a bit on edge around her father, this was the first time they had ever sat around talking. She couldn’t really hear them but she enjoyed watching Daryl’s face. Suddenly, his eyes became more serious, the way they went when he was hunting, determined and confident. The blonde’s interest peaked, however her brother had other plans.

“Come on slow poke,” her brother teased, standing in the way of the window, “you are supposed to be helping clean, not gawking at your new boyfriend. Honestly, you and Maggie are both boy-crazy.”

“I am not,” argued Beth, giving Shawn a friendly shove, “and Daryl is a man, not a boy.”

“You know what I mean,” her brother taunted.

Beth never got to see more of the conversation between Daryl and her father. Afterwards, Daryl asked her out on a date, an actual date to dinner. All Beth could think was that Daryl Dixon had actually asked her out on a date! They had gone in to town to the little café, going out in public was rare for solitary man and she knew he had done it just for her benefit. The archer was never smooth, but the whole time he seemed more awkward than normal, but the blonde attributed that to his being uncomfortable at the diner.

 Afterwards, the rough man had said he wanted to show her something. They had driven back to his cabin and Daryl had all but taken off into the woods. Beth followed him all the way to a fallen tree in a field on the edge of the forest. He had sat down and she had sat beside him. They watched as the sun sank below the horizon. Somewhere, an owl hooted and fireflies shone in the air, just adding to the magical atmosphere. They just enjoyed the beauty of nature as the stars came out, twinkling like they only could far away from city lights.

“You,” Daryl suddenly grunted roughly, his voice interrupting the still night air.

“Hunh,” Beth asked, turned toward her companion, trying to make sense of the one word.

“It was you,” he told her, staring at her with a courage she hadn’t seen in him before when it came to social interactions, “you changed my mind.”

The blonde was still a bit lost, but sensed he was trying to say something important.

“Gonna need a little more than that Daryl,” the blonde teased, “I ain’t a mind-reader.”

He sat there for a moment, struggling with the words. Finally, he reached into his jean’s pocket, pulling out something shiny. Nestled in his fingers was a ring, not a fancy one, just a simple gold band with a diamond in the middle and a few smaller ones on the side.

“This was my grandmother’s,” he told Beth, “it is what I want back for….that night. I went back for it, cuz ya changed my mind, about everything. About what love looks like, what a family is meant to be, about what I could be.”

The young woman stared in shock as he held out the precious gift to her.

“It’s yer’s, if…,” he looked uncertain, “if ya want it.”

“Daryl,” she said, a smile starting to grow on her face, “are you asking me to marry you?”

His face burned red and he mumbled incoherently, but didn’t withdraw his hand holding the ring. The blonde held out her hand to his and he gazed up at her confused.

“You are supposed to put it on my finger,” Beth informed him.

He stared at her like a deer in the headlights.

“Yer…ya want to,” he asked, as if he doubt about how much she cared for him.

“Of course I want to,” the blonde exclaimed, jumping into his arms, “I will always want you, every day for the rest of our lives. I love you Daryl Dixon.”

She could feel the grumble deep in his chest that almost sounded like laughter, if Daryl Dixon laughed. When they broke apart, he took her hand, his fingers shaking as he slipped the ring on. It fit just right.

“Perfect,” he whispered, looking up at her with those deep blue eyes that just drew her in.

“Who would have thought,” the blonde said, “don’t even have to get it resized.”

“Wasn’t talkin about the ring,” he murmured, staring at her before leaning in for a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just about died of embarrassment writing that bedroom scene so I hope it turned out okay. However, the ending I saw clearly in my mind and it made me very happy to write. Thank you so much for everyone that has read my story the whole way through! I hope you enjoyed it :)


End file.
